Donald Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway downplayed Hillary Clinton’s debating skills Wednesday, arguing that she got “easily flummoxed” and “tripped up” by Sen. Bernie Sanders during the Demcratic primary debates.
Appearing on “Kilmeade & Friends,” Conway told host Brian Kilmeade that Clinton’s debate answers tend to be too “lawyerly,” pointing to her appearance at the presidential town hall with NBC’s Matt Lauer two weeks ago.
“We are well acquainted with the debate tapes of Mrs. Clinton and in her past debates, including those with Bernie Sanders, where she was tripped up quite a bit,” Conway said.
“She [was] easily tripped up by Bernie Sanders on policy, on her record of failures. We’re very aware of that,” Conway told the host before going after Clinton’s performance in the forum.
“Her answers are so lengthy. They’re so lawyerly. She only got I think six-seven questions that night because she takes forever, she’s apologizing, she’s dissembling, she’s deflecting. Donald Trump’s answers are concise and they’re confident.
“The 2008 Hillary Clinton had the confidence of a front-runner. This was her race to lose,” Conway said, noting multiple positions Clinton held at the time that were different, including on same-sex marriage.
Trump’s campaign manager turned to the 2016 debates with Sanders, saying she saw a less confident candidate on stage being forced to move further to the left on policy.
“In 2016, she tried to out-Sanders Sanders,” Conway continued. “She was more confident in 2008. In 2016, she was easily flummoxed by Bernie Sanders if you go back and see those debates. She was easily taken off guard, much more defensive.
“I saw a lot less confidence and a lot more wariness on the debate stage in 2016, stylistically,” Conway added.
