Hillary Clinton is set to unleash a major foreign policy attack on Donald Trump, using a speech in San Diego to cast the Republican as unqualified and dangerous.
The former secretary of state, who has repeatedly called Trump a "loose cannon," will seek today to contrast her foreign policy experience with Trump's.
Foreign policy adviser Jake Sullivan said Clinton would make clear how high the stakes are in the race, as well as share her "larger vision of who we are, what we're all about as a country."
"She is going to make clear why Donald Trump is simply unqualified to be commander in chief," Sullivan said, adding that the speech "will go into specifics in a very direct and clear way about what makes Donald Trump unfit, both in terms of temperament and ideas. This is as full-throated and full-bodied a case as you will have seen from anyone on the danger that Donald Trump poses."
During an appearance in Newark, New Jersey yesterday, Clinton assailed Trump over his past statements, criticising him for proposing to ban Muslims from entering the country, for advocating the use of torture and for saying other countries should acquire nuclear weapons. "This is not just divisive rhetoric, my friends, this is dangerous," Clinton said. "What he has already said has given aid and comfort to terrorists."
Trump accused Clinton of lying about his foreign policy plans at a rally at an airport hangar in Sacramento, California, last night.
"She lies. She made a speech and she's making another one tomorrow. And they sent me a copy of the speech and it was such lies about my foreign policy," Trump said.
"They said I want Japan ... To get nuclear weapons. Give me a break," he objected. "I want Japan and Germany and Saudi Arabia and South Korea and many of the NATO nations - they owe us tremendous. We're taking care of all these people. And what I want them to do is pay up."
Trump has suggested in the past that he might be OK with Japan one day obtaining nuclear weapons.
Clinton's campaign hopes her foreign policy experience will appeal to voters who may be wary of Trump's bombastic style and lack of international experience. They hope those points, combined with Trump's controversial statements about women and minorities, will give Clinton opportunities with independent and moderate Republican voters.
In recent days, Clinton has criticised Trump over his past business practices, his recent promises to raise money for veterans and his now defunct education company, Trump University. On Wednesday Clinton called Trump a "fraud" and said the real estate mogul had taken advantage of vulnerable Americans.
Trump has pushed back against the critiques. On the education company, he has maintained that customers were overwhelmingly satisfied with the offerings.
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Clinton said Trump spends all his time in denigrating and criticising America. She added that the billionaire from New York has "insulted a huge majority" of American people during his campaign.
"You see, I am very excited about the future. And every election is about the future. In fact, there is such a difference in our visions for the future. I have a positive, optimistic, unified vision of where America is going. When I listen to Donald Trump's dark and divisive vision, I sometimes don't know what country he's talking about," she said at an election rally here attended by several thousand people.
"He (Trump) just spends all of his time just denigrating, criticising America. I've got to tell you I think America already is great, but we can be greater. I think America is big-hearted, not small-minded. I think Americans are about lifting people up, not tearing each other down. I believe we truly are stronger together in order to set goals and achieve those goals.
"When I think about all of the people that Donald Trump has insulted in this campaign, literally, he has insulted a huge majority of the American people. I mean, think about it. He started with immigrants, moved on to Latinos, African Americans, Muslims, people with disabilities, prisoners of war, and then women. I mean, think about it," she said.
Referring to Trump's recent remarks against women, Clinton said this is one of the reasons why the choice is so stark in this election "because of all the things that Donald Trump has said and done to women and girls".
At a rally in Florida earlier, Clinton said "we should be build up their self-worth so that any young person in America can say they're going after their piece of the American dream - because the American dream is big enough for everybody".
"Now, we know what the tape about Donald Trump said. We know that he said some terrible things about what he does to women. I'm not going to repeat it. But bragging about treating women like that is not the message we want either our little girls or our little boys to hear," she said.
Clinton also criticised Trump over his 'efforts to avoid' federal income taxes for nearly two decades despite claiming to be worth USD 10 billion.
Highlighting a recent report that found Trump's means of avoiding federal income taxes "legally dubious", she called on Trump to release his tax returns so the Americans "finally see the truth" about his foreign and domestic entanglements, and contributions to the military, schools and infrastructure.
At the election rally in Dade City, Clinton highlighted Trump's alarming words and deeds towards women like his revolting comments on a bus 11 years ago, his repeated behaviour insulting and degrading women who stood up to him, his bragging about walking in on nude pageant contestants - some of whom were apparently underaged, his jokes that objectify women and more.
"He doesn't look at us and see full human beings, with our dreams and purposes, our own capabilities. And he has shown us that clearly throughout this campaign. Well, he's very wrong. He is wrong about both the women and the men of this country. He has shown us who he is. Let us on Tuesday show him who we are. We can stand up for what we believe, what we want for our children and grandchildren, what we know is right," she added.
