Clinton blasts Trump's 'weak excuse' after GOP opponent writes off 'p****' tape as 'locker room banter' – and urges backers not to stay home just because campaign got 'so nasty'

  • Hillary Clinton flew to Detroit Monday for a voter turnout rally, a night after one of the nastiest presidential debates in memory 
  • Trump in Monday's presidential debate said his crude comments caught on tape 11 years ago were 'locker room banter'
  •  Clinton said he should have been 'apologizing' instead of attacking 
  • She referenced 'negativity' in the race – but didn't mention how Trump brought four Clinton accusers to Sunday night's presidential debate
  • Supporters blast Trump's gambit as 'disgusting' 
  • Clinton urged her backers to avoid 'negativity' in the race and turn out to vote
  • Urges backers not to stay home just because race is 'nasty' 

A day after Donald Trump waged a full-on attack on her in a presidential debate where he brought her husband's past accusers into the debate hall, Hillary Clinton blasted her opponent's 'weak excuse' in trying to explain crude comments caught on tape. 

'I’ll tell you what, Donald trump spends his time attacking when he should have been apologizing,' Clinton told an estimated crowd of 3,500 in Detroit Monday.

She immediately turned to the explosive tape that captured Trump crudely rating women and talking about being able to grab them by their genitals because of his star status.

'On Friday the whole world heard him talking about the terrible way he treats women,' Clinton told her supporters.

'And last night, when he was pressed about he behaves, he just doubled down on his excuse that it’s just locker room banter. Well I’ll tell you what women and men across America know that that is just a really weak excuse for behaving badly,' she said, to cheers of 'Hillary!' from her backers.

Hillary Clinton jetted to Michigan and Ohio Monday, a night after one of the nastiest presidential debates in memory

Hillary Clinton jetted to Michigan and Ohio Monday, a night after one of the nastiest presidential debates in memory

Trump said Sunday when pressed on his comments, 'This was locker room talk. I’m not proud of it. I apologize to my family. I apologize to the American people. Certainly I’m not proud of it.'

'But it’s locker room talk, and it’s one of those things,' Trump said.

Clinton referenced Republicans who have been bailing on Trump, although she didn't mention Speaker Paul Ryan's decision Monday that he won't campaign with his party's nominee.

'Unfortunately, some people don’t want to face it,' Clinton said. 'But here’s a man who has insulted not just women – but African Americans, Latinos, people with disabilities, Muslims, POWs, and so many more,' Clinton said.

Clinton referenced 'negativity' in the race, but didn't specifically bring up her opponents decision to bring Clinton accusers as guests to the debate

Clinton referenced 'negativity' in the race, but didn't specifically bring up her opponents decision to bring Clinton accusers as guests to the debate

One of Clinton's introducers, Wayne County executive Warren Evans, blasted Trump for 'stalking' Clinton on stage during the debate

One of Clinton's introducers, Wayne County executive Warren Evans, blasted Trump for 'stalking' Clinton on stage during the debate

'SO NASTY': Clinton urged supporters not to give in to cynicism because the race has gotten so negative. She said they should vote to signal 'we are not putting up with that'

'SO NASTY': Clinton urged supporters not to give in to cynicism because the race has gotten so negative. She said they should vote to signal 'we are not putting up with that'

Clinton also addressed remarks to what Democrats believe is a foundation for Trump's kitchen sink attack strategy: that even if not all of the attacks stick, it might convince enough of the electorate to tune out or even stay home on Election Day.

'I know there’s been a lot of negativity and it is easy to get cynical about politics, but I will tell you, that is what the other side wants you to do,' Clinton said, with Michigan's registration deadline just a day away.

'They want you to just say, well, I am not going to vote because, you know, it is so nasty. That’s the main reason to vote, to make it clear that we are not putting up with that.'

Clinton brought up the debate immediately, although Trump's tough-performance may have steadied his campaign after a rough weekend that had three dozen elected Republicans saying the won't vote for him. 

'Anybody see the debate last night?' she asked. 'Bet you never saw anything like that before.'

It was the only comment that could have referenced Trump's stunning decision to bring four women, three of them who accused her husband of harassment, assault, and rape, to the debate. 

Before she spoke, a series of introducers ripped Trump's debate performance.

Wayne County executive Warren Evans blasted Trump's physical moves into Clinton's space during the debate. 

'To be demeaning, to walk down behind a presidential candidate, to stalk her on stage, to waive your fingers and hands, to make gyrating clown types of gestures  That’s not presidential,' Evans said.

Michigan Democratic senator Debbie Stabenow told the Clinton crowd, 'I don’t know about you, but I am sick of Donald Trump.'

'I mean it’s unbelievable. The ignorance and the arrogance and the racism and the sexism, and on and on and on. And he tries to divert your attention while he picks your pocket,' she said.

Michigan Democratic senator Gary Peters took on Trump's contention that Clinton doesn't look presidential.

'You had Hillary Clinton, who looked presidential. She was presidential … she looked like the president of the United States, he said.

The rally took place just a day before Michigan's voter registration deadline.

 Clinton advisor Jennifer Palmieri told reporters traveling with Clinton that 'we’re not happy with how he’s chosen to run his race and the discourse that that has brought into the campaign.'

'But that’s his choice,' she said. 

'That's not a way to treat women,' said Clinton supporter Ali-el

'That's not a way to treat women,' said Clinton supporter Ali-el

First-time voter Ellery Weller said Trump's debate performance was 'really disgusting'

First-time voter Ellery Weller said Trump's debate performance was 'really disgusting'

Trump's bare-knuckled debate moves didn't go over any better with Clinton supporters in her crowd.

'That was just ignorance. It didn't even make sense,' said Ali-el, who runs Tony Rome's Lounge in Detroit.'He's a bum,' he added. 'I know about locker room talk. Still, that's not a way to treat women, he added. Then he observed: 'You're supposed to hide things. You're not supposed to do everything in the open and let everyone know about your business.'

'It was honestly really disgusting,' said Ellery Weller, 18, a Wayne State first-year student. 'I fell like he treats women as an object.'

 

 

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now