Invigorated by both her commanding poll numbers and eyebrow-raising declarations by Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton returned to campaigning today seeking to keep her boot on her rival's neck in the final weeks of their roller-coaster presidential race.
The toxic election cycle that culminates on November 8 -- pitting the Democratic former secretary of state against the provocative billionaire Republican nominee -- has boiled down to a handful of swing states.
Clinton, who is vying to be America's first female president, heads to Ohio aiming to block Trump's efforts to claim the key battleground, while the Manhattan real estate mogul hosts rallies in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Trump, 70, sent the campaign into uncharted waters by suggesting he may not recognize the result and could launch a legal challenge if Clinton wins -- a surprising rejection of political norms.
"I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election -- if I win," he told cheering supporters in Delaware, Ohio yesterday, appearing to revel in the controversy he generated the previous day at their third and final presidential debate when he refused to pledge to honor the outcome.
"Of course I will accept a clear election result, but I will also reserve my right to contest and file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result," he told his Ohio rally.
The pair also are coming off an evening of stinging humor at a white-tie charity event in New York where they traded colorful barbs at what is meant to be a friendly roast -- and where Trump was booed.
The bitterness of the campaign was quickly on display, with Trump calling the 68-year-old Clinton "corrupt" and jabbing her for disclosures from her campaign's hacked emails.
"Here she is in public, pretending not to hate Catholics," he said, as Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York looked on.
"I don't know who they're angry at, Hillary, you or I," Trump said in an attempt to brush off the ensuing flurry of boos.
Despite the prickly barbs -- including Clinton proclaiming that Trump sent "a hearse" to bring her to the dinner -- the two candidates shook hands at the end of the evening.
Trump is trailing badly in the polls, and his debate threat opened him up to a stinging attack from President Barack Obama at a Miami rally.
"When you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people's minds about the legitimacy of our election, that undermines our democracy," Obama said yesterday.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
