Donald Trump on Monday responded to Hillary Clinton's claim last week — "at one of her high-dollar fundraisers on Wall Street" — that half his supporters are "deplorable."
Trump, speaking in front of the National Guard Association in Baltimore, argued that his Democratic opponent's comments constituted "the most explicit attack on the American voter by a major-party presidential nominee."
"I was ... deeply shocked and alarmed this Friday to hear my opponent attack, slander, smear, demean these wonderful, amazing people who are supporting our campaign by the millions," he said. "Our support comes from every part of America and every walk of life. We have the support of cops and soldiers, carpenters and welders, the young and the old, and millions of working-class families who just want a better future and a good job.
"These were the people Hillary Clinton so viciously demonized. These were among the countless Americans that Hillary Clinton called 'deplorable,' 'irredeemable,' and 'un-American,'" he continued. "She called these patriotic men and women every vile name in the book. She called them racist, sexist, xenophobic, Islamophobic."
Trump called Clinton "an insider supported by powerful insiders attacking Americans who have absolutely no political power," and who "spoke with hatred and derision for the people who make this country run. She spoke with contempt for the people who thanklessly follow the rules, pay their taxes, and scratch out a living for their family."
"If Hillary Clinton will not retract her comments in full," he added, "I don't see how she can credibly campaign any further."
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