Hillary Clinton added a wrinkle to her consistent criticism of Donald Trump’s “strongman” approach to governing Friday, using the near-dictionary definition of a despot to describe the GOP nominee for president.
“My opponent believes in what I call a strongman approach. He stood on that stage at his convention and described a hopeless, broken nation. … That in no way resembles the strong, vibrant America I know. And here’s what he said: He said, ‘I alone can fix it.’ I alone?” Clinton began in familiar terms, before launching a new attack.
“Well we’ve learned that that’s his way—one person getting supreme power and exercising it ruthlessly. That’s why he admires dictators like Vladimir Putin so much.”
Clinton was in Fort Pierce, Florida, promoting a national service agenda, and she used the opportunity to call for a community-minded approach to political problem-solving.
Trump’s style “is not how change happens in America,” the Democrat said. “It is never just one person, not even someone as powerful as the president. Every good thing our country has ever achieved has always happened because people have worked together to make it a reality.”
Clinton was scheduled to headline another campaign rally Friday afternoon in Florida, where she and Trump are locked in a tight race. Two post-debate polls showed the Democratic candidate up by one and four percentage points, similar to her standing in surveys recorded prior to last weekend.
