Fact Check: Clinton denied being secretary of state during Obama's 'red line' comment

In the heat of the presidential debate Sunday, Hillary Clinton denied being secretary of state when President Obama said in 2012 that Syria President Bashar Assad would “cross a red line” by using chemical weapons on civilians in the country’s years-long civil war.
“I was gone,” Clinton said. “At some point, we need to do some fact-checking here.”
However, Clinton, in fact, ran the State Department for Obama from 2009 until 2013, during which time Assad continued to use chemical weapons.
Trump, unaware that Clinton had either made a mistake or attempted to deny any association with the issue, pressed on. He suggested the Democratic presidential nominee remained in close conversation with the administration after leaving the department.
“You were in total contact with the White House,” Trump said. “And perhaps, sadly, Obama probably still listened to you. I don't think he would be listening to you very much anymore.”
Trump, the Republican nominee, has repeatedly argued that Obama continued to allow Assad to use chemical weapons, and consequently failed to enforce his stance, calling it another example of the president’s failed foreign policy and the country’s weakened position as a world power.

Predictions Map

See the Fox News 2016 battleground prediction map and make your own election projections. See Predictions Map →

“Obama draws the line in the sand,” Trump continued Sunday. “It was laughed at all over the world.”

Trump accuses Raddatz and Cooper of being in Clinton's corner at debate

Donald Trump appeared to accuse presidential debate moderators Anderson Cooper and Martha Raddatz of colluding with Hillary Clinton in an effort to spare the Democrat nominee from having to answer challenging questions about classified emails stored on her unsecured server.
ABC’s Raddatz asked Clinton if she would call her use of the secret homebrewed server “extremely careless” – the same words FBI Director James Comey used when speaking about his decision to not prosecute Clinton for using server. When Trump tried pressing the issue further, Raddatz and CNN anchor Cooper tried cutting Trump off. Clinton responded that she’d like to get to questions from those seated in the audience at the Missouri town hall.
“And get off this question,” Trump retorted.
Trump then asked Cooper why he didn’t bring up the emails. Cooper replied that “We brought up the emails.”
“No it hasn’t,” Trump said of the email topic. “And it hasn’t been finished at all.”
When Raddatz and Cooper began moving the conversation on to a new topic, Trump leaned into his microphone: “Nice – one on three.”
Cooper had previously admonished the audience numerous times regarding its outbursts of applause, typically when the interruptions came in response to a Trump statement – including once when Trump told Clinton she’d be “in jail” if he were elected president because he’d appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the server issue.
Later Trump criticized Raddatz for not cutting Clinton's answer off when it appeared Clinton talked past her time limit.
"She went over a minute over, and you didn't stop her," Trump said.
The Trump campaign hammered the point home after the campaign, releasing a compilation video of the moderators interrupting Trump.

Trump hammers Clinton on emails, downplays lewd remarks in raucous 2nd debate

Hillary Clinton defends comments in leaked emails

An aggressive Donald Trump, seeking to stabilize his campaign after the release of a decade-old tape where he made lewd comments about women, assailed Hillary Clinton’s honesty and character in an unprecedented way at Sunday’s debate – accusing her of lying about her email scandal, threatening she’d be “in jail” if he were president and suggesting his own comments pale in comparison to her husband’s alleged abuse of women and her treatment of them.
Clinton, in response, claimed Trump’s vulgar comments revealed his true self, while accusing him of trying to create a “diversion” from his “exploding” campaign with his debate-stage attacks.
The exchanges punctuated a freewheeling and raucous debate – the nominees’ second – where the candidates frequently accused each other of distorting the truth. Clinton at times seemed to be trying to take what she described as the “high” road, but a nimble Trump – reminiscent of the pugilistic debater from the GOP primaries – attempted to sideline the controversy over the 2005 tape early on and stayed on offense for much of the 90 minutes in St. Louis.
“She should be ashamed of herself,” the Republican nominee charged, a line he used in reference to both Clinton’s email use as secretary of state and her alleged intimidation of the women who have accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault.
Trump once again apologized for his comments in the newly released 2005 audio in which he talked freely about grabbing women without their consent. But Trump denied he was talking about sexual assault, said he’s never done the things he discussed in the leaked audio – and downplayed it as “locker-room talk.”
“I’m very embarrassed by it, I hate it – but it’s locker-room talk,” Trump said.

Predictions Map

See the Fox News 2016 battleground prediction map and make your own election projections. See Predictions Map →

He added, “I have great respect for women.”
Trump pivoted to tout his plans to “knock the hell out of ISIS” and turn the focus on Bill and Hillary Clintons’ actions toward the women who have accused the former president of sexual assault.
“If you look at Bill Clinton, far worse – mine are words. His was action,” Trump said. “Bill Clinton was abusive to women. Hillary Clinton attacked those same women and attacked them viciously.”
Hillary Clinton challenged Trump’s accusations as “not right” while saying she wanted to “go high” in her response.
As for Trump’s comments in the 2005 footage, she said it “represents exactly who [Trump] is.”
“We have seen this throughout the campaign,” she said, recalling his negative comments toward not just women but Muslims and Latinos and others. “Yes, this is who Donald Trump is.”
The candidates veered, in between the attacks, into policy debates over taxes, ObamaCare and Syria, among other issues. Notably, Trump broke with Mike Pence on his running mate’s willingness to strike Syrian military targets. Amid speculation about Pence’s future on the ticket after the tape controversy, though, the Indiana governor later tweeted his congratulations on what he called Trump’s “debate win.”
In contrast to Trump and Clinton’s first debate, the GOP nominee arrived in St. Louis seemingly prepared to counter every attack and hit twice as hard at his Democratic opponent. He could be heard, as he was during the first debate, frequently sniffing but this was drowned out by the candidates’ constant sparring, including Trump at one point saying Bernie Sanders signed on with “the devil” when he backed Clinton.

The tensions were on full display even before the debate started – the two candidates did not shake hands as they walked out, though did at the end. The tensions flared when Trump went after Clinton for deleting thousands of emails from her time as secretary of state.
He said if he wins, he’d request a special prosecutor be appointed to “look into your situation.”
Clinton said Trump’s claims were “absolutely false” and it was good someone like him is not in charge of the law.
Trump shot back: “Because you’d be in jail.”
The two continued to spar on the email issue and when Trump suggested his opponent was eager to get off the question, she countered:  “I know you’re into big diversion tonight -- anything to avoid talking about your campaign and the way it’s exploding, the way Republicans are leaving you.”
The town hall-style debate at Washington University in St. Louis indeed came as Trump essentially was trying to save his campaign, after the release of the 11-year-old tape showing him making vulgar comments about women. Numerous Republican lawmakers have – as Clinton referenced – abandoned the presidential nominee over the remarks, with some calling on him to step aside and perhaps let running mate Pence carry the mantle into November.
Trump apologized, but has vowed to stay in the race.
The debate Sunday already was considered critical for Trump after he was widely seen as struggling against Clinton at their first match-up on Sept. 26. But the release of the 2005 tape put immense pressure on him to assure uneasy supporters and perhaps win back defectors, all while continuing to make his case that Clinton is unfit for the office.
The coming days could make clear whether, with his performance Sunday night, Trump has done so.
Trump has responded to the release of the tape all along with a mix of contrition and counterattack. While he apologized, he quickly tried to turn the issue back around on Bill Clinton by invoking his past sex scandals. Shortly before the start of Sunday’s debate, Trump even held a press conference with several of the former president’s accusers.
“Actions speak louder than words,” said Juanita Broaddrick, who claims Bill Clinton raped her in 1978, which the former president has denied. “Mr. Trump may have said some bad words but Bill Clinton raped me and Hillary Clinton threatened me. I don’t think there’s any comparison.”
The 2005 Trump tape was a conversation between Trump and then-“Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush where Trump described his attempt to have sex with a married woman. Trump boasted that a star can “do anything” and added, “grab them by the p----.”
The audio overshadowed other controversies surrounding his opponent, including the leak of thousands of emails purportedly from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta covering information on Clinton’s Wall Street speeches. In one passage, Clinton discussed the need to have both a “public and private position.”
At Sunday’s debate, Clinton defended that speech and explained she was trying to discuss how President Abraham Lincoln had carefully negotiated with individual lawmakers in Congress during his presidency, using different arguments for different members.
Trump accused Clinton of blaming Lincoln and added: “Honest Abe never lied, that’s the difference between Abraham Lincoln and you.”

Robert De Niro Cartoons

Do not throw rocks if you live in a glass house.

Jon Voight defends Trump remarks, blasts Robert De Niro for 'ugly rant'

Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight took to social media Saturday to defend Republican candidate Donald Trump's controversial remarks about women and criticize fellow movie star Robert De Niro for making disparaging remarks about the real estate mogul.
"Midnight Cowboy" star Voight, who has supported several Republican politicians over the years, said on Twitter that Trump's remarks to "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush in 2005 "were not as damaging as Robert DeNiro’s [sic] ugly rant. Trump’s words did not hurt anyone."
Voight also said of the recorded comments, which were first disclosed by The Washington Post Friday, "I don’t know of too many men who haven’t expressed some sort of similar sexual terms toward women, especially in their younger years."
De Niro lashed out at Trump in a video released Friday as part of a get-out-the-vote project. In it, the "Raging Bull" star said of Trump, "he's a punk, he's a dog, he's a pig, he's a con, a bulls--- artist, a mutt who doesn't know what he's talking about."
"It makes me so angry that this country has gotten to this point that this fool, this bozo, has wound up where he has," De Niro added. "He talks how he'd like to punch people in the face? Well, I'd like to punch him in the face."
Voight concluded his Twitter spurt by "calling for all Trump supporters to express their outrage and anger against DeNiro [sic] and all of the Republican turncoats against Trump. Let Donald Trump know we are completely behind him, and may God give him the strength to continue his calling.”
Voight narrated a biographical video of Trump that was used to introduce the GOP nominee at this summer's Republican National Convention. De Niro had no immediate response to Voight's tweets.

Residents debate Hispanic neighborhood changing street signs into Spanish

When Hispanic residents of downtown Allentown want to grab a bite, get their hair cut or shop for groceries, they often head to Seventh Street — but they don't call it that. To them, it's Calle Siete.
A councilman wants to honor the city's growing Hispanic population by installing decorative Spanish-language street signs on one of its main commercial thoroughfares, where a profusion of Latino-owned restaurants, barbershops and corner stores reflects the rapidly changing demographics of the state's third-largest city. Hispanics now represent nearly half the population of 120,000.
But where Democratic Councilman Julio Guridy and other residents and business owners on Seventh Street see the Calle Siete signs as a small but long overdue gesture of respect, others call the proposal unnecessary and divisive.
Critics also say the proposal for the signs is a distraction from issues of poverty, drugs, crime and lack of opportunity in Allentown's urban core.
"With all the problems this community has, please don't talk to me about signs," said John Rosario, 54, who moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic about four decades ago and owns a Seventh Street insurance, tax and real estate business. "If you really want to help somebody, roll up your sleeves, come down here and let's talk about it."
A city council committee tabled the sign proposal for more discussion after dozens of people showed up at a public meeting this week to voice support and opposition. Guridy hopes to bring it up for a vote in a month.
The debate in Allentown would have been unimaginable not so long ago, when Hispanics were a tiny minority. For much of its history, the city, an hour's drive north of Philadelphia, was a bustling industrial center populated largely by European immigrants and their descendants.
As manufacturing declined, so did the population. Then, drawn in part by cheap housing, Hispanics began swelling Allentown's numbers again. The Latino population has more than doubled since 2000.
Guridy said the Hispanic community has contributed to Allentown's efforts to remake its economy and deserves to be recognized.
"It is a good thing for Allentown because it provides a sense of pride, and a sense of belonging, to the Hispanic community, who have been working hard and contributing to this community, and who feel alienated because they are not recognized for their contributions," he said.
Inside Seventh Street's bustling Los Compadres Barber Shop, Steven Castillo, 27, views the Spanish-language signs as a good marketing tool, no different from cities that boast Chinatowns or Little Italys.
"When you want Spanish food in Allentown, where do you go? Calle Siete," he said.
Zack Alali, 48, a Syrian immigrant who moved to the United States about 25 years ago, opened Casa Dollar on Seventh Street to cater to the Hispanic population. He said Calle Siete simply reflects the reality of what the street has become.
"It's just a little appreciation for the people here," Alali said. "It's just a name."
But the controversy goes deeper than those two words.
For some, it's about language and culture. Shaniqua Andrews, 25, who lives a block from Seventh Street and works in a warehouse, said her co-workers mostly speak Spanish and her supervisor typically gives instructions in Spanish. She said she resents having to ask for them in English.
"It makes me upset," said Andrews, who's black. "They should come here with the mindset that it's America."

Nigel Farage: Trump 'Not Running to Be Pope--He's Running For President'

Former United Kingdom Independence Party chairman and leader of England's 'Brexit' campaign Nigel Farage discussed Donald Trump's lewd remarks about women, and what effect it would have on his campaign going forward, on the Cost of Freedom.
"It's going to be pretty ugly tomorrow,"  Farage said of Sunday evening's debate.
"The sad thing is the big policy stuff...goes down the agenda a bit," he told Neil Cavuto.
"This is alpha male boasting. It's the kind of thing --if we're honest--that men do [on occasion]," he said, adding that he found the remarks "ugly."
"There are going to be Republican candidates running for the hills, [putting their] own interest ahead of the good of the party," he said.
By midday Saturday, a number of  GOP Senators had denounced and distanced themselves from Trump, including Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Michael Crapo (R-Idaho), as well as number of other high-profile Republicans, including former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R-N.J.) Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Carly Fiorina.
Farage said Trump should take time at the debate to publicly atone once more for his actions in the past: "I behaved in a...boorish way. I apologize...let's talk about real issues," the MEP suggested.
"At least theres an honesty about Trump...he is what he is...he's not running to be Pope, he's running for president of the United States," Farage added, noting criticisms of Hillary Clinton's perceived dishonesty.

After Trump tape, Clinton WikiLeaks dump here’s what’s next, America

With one month to go, I’ll make two predictions about the presidential race.
First, Donald Trump isn’t leaving the race, and indeed seems oblivious to the storm of criticism surrounding him.
“I haven’t heard from anyone saying I should drop out, and that would never happen, never happen,” Trump told the New York Times on Saturday. “That’s not the kind of person I am. I am in this until the end.”
Second, look for more October surprises in hairpin curves in the course of the race. The simultaneous leaks of Donald Trump’s lewd remarks and the publishing of excerpts from Hillary Clinton’s Goldman Sachs speeches are only the beginning.
We’re going to see the biggest mud bath in American history. The problem for Donald Trump is that his problems will likely get more attention and do more damage to him than Hillary’s.
If the presidential race is decided by October surprises, sex almost certainly tops money. Look at how Trump’s sex tape has overshadowed the leaks of Hillary Clinton’s speech transcripts. "The human brain is hardwired to understand sex stories a lot better than stories involving numbers," says Los Angeles public relations specialist Michael Levine.

Predictions Map

See the Fox News 2016 battleground prediction map and make your own election projections. See Predictions Map →

Trump is already taking new body blows over his  raunchy and degrading treatment of women. A CNN analysis of previously unreleased tapes of Trump appearances on Howard Stern’s radio show have the billionaire saying it’s OK for Stern to call his daughter a “piece of ass.”
He also professed shock when Stern told him he was faithful to his wife: “You’re kidding. Really. What’s that all about?
Trump could also be buffeted by the leaking of more of his confidential tax-returns. After all, someone in the IRS did precisely that in 2012, illegally leaking tax information about Mitt Romney.
Trump himself criticized Romney for delaying release of his tax returns, saying he “was hurt very badly” by that.
Meanwhile, portions of Hillary Clinton’s State Department emails that were deleted but  recovered by the FBI were released on Friday. They indicate that top Clinton aides Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills were involved in planning private speeches on foreign policy for Bill Clinton while they were on the State Department’s payroll -- a clear conflict of interest.
Excerpts from Hillary Clinton’s series of well-paid speeches to the investment firm Goldman Sachs are embarrassing.
She minimized the role of banks in the 2008 economic collapse, admited she’s out of touch with the middle class and said she has “both a public and a private position” on key economic issues.
She also told Brazilian bankers that “My dream is a hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders, some time in the future,”  “Open borders” is a common term describing largely unrestrained immigration, something Hillary claims to oppose.
But Hillary could have more headaches. WikiLeaks has already released a slew of emails purloined from Hillary’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee.
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, hints that new revelations could involve more deleted emails from Hillary Clinton’s private server and could be related to the close ties between the State Department and the Clinton Foundation.
Peter Schweizer, the author of an expose on the Foundation called “Clinton Cash,” told me: “The activities of Hillary Clinton during her time as secretary of state intersect with the favor-seeking of the Clinton Foundation. It is strange that so few of her publicly released emails touch on the Clinton Foundation. Maybe the private ones do.”
Speculation about additional October surprises is rampant among political observers now. No one knows for sure how much impact other October surprises of leaked information could have. But clearly anything is possible in this cut-throat year of political surprises.
That’s why polls are only of so much use – they may be dramatically overcome by events on the ground.