STANFORD, Calif. — Hillary Clinton is doing what Republican rivals now say they took far too long to do: Take Donald Trump seriously.
In interviews and foreign policy addresses this week, the Democratic front-runner has worked to undercut Trump’s credentials in the wake of deadly bombings in Brussels. Her goal is to transform the voters’ vision of the bombastic reality TV star into a potential commander in chief with his finger on a nuclear trigger — an image her team thinks will repel voters in November.
Clinton casts herself as a calm harbor in a stormy world, frequently mentioning the need for “steady hands.” The comment is a clear reference to Trump with the implication he would never fill that need.
In a speech Wednesday at Stanford University, Clinton called for “strong, smart, steady leadership,” arguing that recent comments from Republicans Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz show they are not up to the task of combatting Islamic militants.
“Turning our back on our alliances, or turning our alliance into a protection racket would reverse decades of bipartisan American leadership and send a dangerous signal to friend and foe alike,” she said, referencing a call by Trump to lessen U.S. involvement in NATO. “Putin already hopes to divide Europe. If Mr. Trump gets his way, it will be like Christmas in the Kremlin.”
Clinton also assailed Cruz’s call for patrolling Muslim neighborhoods.
“When Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals and for racially profiling predominantly Muslim neighborhoods, it’s wrong, it’s counterproductive, it’s dangerous,” Clinton said.
Trump dismissed her speech on Twitter and insisted he is better prepared to take over the country’s fight against Islamic State militants.
“Just watched Hillary deliver a prepackaged speech on terror. She’s been in office fighting terror for 20 years — and look where we are!” he wrote, adding: “I will be the best by far in fighting terror. I’m the only one that was right from the beginning, & now Lyin’ Ted & others are copying me.”
That last was a reference to Cruz.
Political strategists in both parties admit to being slightly baffled by the coming general election, acknowledging they have few clear expectations for a match-up between candidates with such high negative ratings and vastly different personal styles.
But there is on prediction they all agree on: It will get ugly.
Trump has accused Clinton of being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands across the globe. Clinton has accused him of inciting violence.
