Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump took the stage and looked at each other. Clinton swung her hand out slightly toward her opponent, but Trump made no motion toward Clinton for the customary handshake. This tense interaction set the tone for the rest of the debate.
Trump began with an apology to his family and the American people for the comments he made in 2005 while filming for “Access Hollywood.” He said the comments were just locker room talk.
“No one has more respect for women than I do,” Trump said.
However, Clinton said Trump has targeted not only women, but also Muslims, Latinos, the disabled and prisoners of war. That is not who this country is, she said.
The United States is great because people respect one another, and she said this is the country she will serve if she is fortunate enough to become president.
Trump said radical Islamic terrorism is the issue, and he is dissatisfied with Clinton’s and President Obama’s refusal to use the term “radical Islamic terror.”
“Before you stop it you have to say the name,” Trump said.
However, Clinton said the U.S. is not at war with Islam. Instead, the country is fighting violent jihadist terrorists.
Trump said he does not want to see hundreds of thousands of Syrian immigrants resettle in the U.S. because they are a risk to the nation.
“We know nothing about their values, and we know nothing about their love for our country,” Trump said. Drugs are also pouring in from south of the border, he said.
Clinton said people should think of the children suffering in the catastrophic war largely because of Russian aggression. She said she will increase vetting and make it as tough as it needs to be. The country cannot ban people based on religion because the country is built on religious freedom, Clinton said.
Trump said Clinton has such bad judgment on refugees and immigrants that “honestly she should never be President of the United States.”
Nevertheless, reigning in costs is the most important duty of the next president, Clinton said. Trump said he will eliminate Obamacare because it is a “total disaster.”
“You know it, we all know it,” he said.
However, Clinton said the Affordable Care Act has helped insure millions of Americans and will continue to do so.
On Syria, Clinton said she does support the effort to investigate the Syrians and the Russians for war crimes. Trump said he will be a president for all people and Clinton is all talk and gets nothing done.
“I want to be the president for all Americans,” Clinton said. “I want us to heal our country and bring it together.”
The next and final debate will occur Oct. 19 at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
