Story highlights Donald Trump responded to sharp criticism from Hillary Clinton of his business practices

Trump said Clinton doesn't understand debt

(CNN) Donald Trump pushed back against criticism of his companies' bankruptcy history Tuesday, repeating his argument that like other smart businessmen, he "used, brilliantly, the laws of the country" to his advantage.

The presumptive GOP nominee was responding to attacks launched by Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, who lambasted Trump's business record and economic ideas in a cutting speech earlier the same day.

"What I've done is I've used, brilliantly, the laws of the country. And not personally, just corporate. And if you look at people like myself that are at the highest levels of business, they use -- many of them have done it, many times," Trump told "ABC World News Tonight" host David Muir.

"But do any average Americans pay the price, though, for that?" Muir responded.

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