Media Call Out Donald Trump For His “Personal,” “R-rated,” “Vulgar,” “Astonishingly Sexist” Attacks On Hillary Clinton

Washington Post: Trump “Used Vulgar Language” To Attack Clinton, Calling Her Bathroom Break “Too Disgusting” To Talk About And Saying She Got “Schlonged” In 2008 By President Obama. In a December 21 article, The Washington Post's Jenna Johnson reported that Donald Trump had “used vulgar language” to attack Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during a Monday night rally, saying that “her use of the restroom at the last Democratic debate was 'too disgusting' to talk about and that in 2007 she got 'schlonged by Barack Obama.” Johnson pointed out that “Trump has repeatedly faced criticism for the language that he uses to describe women, including his female rivals”:

Donald Trump used vulgar language as he attacked Hillary Clinton during a rally on Monday night, saying her use of the restroom at the last Democratic debate was “too disgusting” to talk about and that in 2008 she got “schlonged” by Barack Obama when he defeated her in the Democratic primary.

Standing before a crowd of 7,500, Trump recounted how Clinton was seconds late to the Democratic debate stage on Saturday night following a commercial break. Trump asked the crowd four times where Clinton had gone.

“I know where she went -- it's disgusting, I don't want to talk about it,” Trump said, screwing up his face, as the crowd laughed and cheered. “No, it's too disgusting. Don't say it, it's disgusting.”

Later in the night, Trump told the crowd that he could not picture Clinton as president because she never wins at anything. He then brought up the 2008 Democratic primary, which Clinton lost to Barack Obama.

“She was favored to win, and she got schlonged,” Trump said, turning a vulgar noun for a large penis into a verb.

Trump has repeatedly faced criticism for the language that he uses to describe women, including his female rivals. [The Washington Post, 12/21/15]

CNN's New Day: Trump Used “An R-Rated, Derogatory Term” Against Clinton. In the December 22 edition of CNN's New Day, senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns referred to Trump's latest attacks on Clinton's bathroom break during the last Democratic debate as “surprisingly personal” and said the Republican candidate was “under fire for using an R-rated derogatory term” to describe Clinton's 2008 defeat:

JOE JOHNS: Good morning, Alisyn. Even compared to some of the language Donald Trump has used to describe other candidates in this race, these latest comments made in a public forum and directed at Hillary Clinton are surprisingly personal and they are only adding more fuel to the feud between the two candidates sitting at thetopofthe polls in the race fortheir parties' respective nominations.

[...]

JOHNS: Donald Trump unleashing yet another tirade against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton at a rally in Michigan.

JOHNS: The billionaire coming under fire for using anR-rated derogatory termwhen referring to her 2008defeat by Barack Obama. [CNN, New Day, 12/22/15]

Slate: Trump's Latest Attack On Clinton Is More Proof “He's No Friend To Women In America.” In a December 21 article, Slate described Trump's latest attacks on Hillary Clinton as more proof “he's no friend to women in America,” referring to his criticism of Clinton's 2008 defeat as “jaw-dropping” and “sexist”:

Donald Trump has time-and-again proven he's no friend to women in America. On Monday, the Republican frontrunner went one step further during a campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Speaking to a crowd of supporters, Trump offered up this jaw-dropping, sexist description of Hillary Clinton's loss to Barack Obama in 2008: “She got schlonged.” The Washington Post described Trump's usage as “turning a vulgar noun for a large penis into a verb” and we can leave it at that for now. [Slate, 12/21/15]

ThinkProgress: “Trump's Sexist Attacks Have Been An Unfortunate Hallmark Of His Presidential Campaign,” And His Latest Comments Are “Astonishingly Sexist.” In a December 21 post, ThinkProgress referred to Donald Trump's recent attacks on Hillary Clinton as “astonishingly sexist,” adding that “Trump's sexist attacks have been an unfortunate hallmark” of his campaign for the Republican nomination:

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump used a campaign stop in Michigan on Monday to make astonishingly sexist attacks against Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

At one point, Trump told the Grand Rapids crowd that Clinton got “schlonged” by President Obama during their 2008 Democratic primary race.

[...]

“Schlong” is a well-known reference to a man's genitals. There are no alternative definitions for the word, according to Merriam-Webster.

[...]

Trump also used his speech to attack Clinton for using the bathroom.

Discussing her brief disappearance during Saturday'sDemocratic debate while she was using the lavatory, Trump told the crowd, “Where did Hillary go? They had to start the debate without her. Phase two. Why? I know where she went. It's disgusting. I don't want to talk about it. It's too disgusting. Don't say it, it's disgusting. We want to be very, very straight up.”

[...]

Trump's sexist attacks have been an unfortunate hallmark of his presidential campaign. [ThinkProgress, 12/21/15]

Politico's Ben Schreckinger: Trump Took Personal Attacks Against Clinton “To A New Level.” In a December 21 article, Politico's Ben Schreckinger called out Donald Trump for “focus[ing]” on Clinton's personal life, remarking that he had taken his attacks against the Democratic candidate“to a new level of intimacy”:

Donald Trump is taking his criticism of Hillary Clinton into new territory.

The Republican front-runner mocked his Democratic counterpart for a “disgusting” bathroom trip she made during Saturday night's debate, and said Barack Obama “schlonged” her in the 2008 primaries at a raucous rally here on Monday night.

For Trump -- who comments often on Clinton's penchant for pantsuits, has insinuated she is in a lesbian relationship with close aide Huma Abedin and insists she doesn't have “the strength or the stamina” to be president -- Monday's remarks take his focus on her personal life to a new level of intimacy.

Remarking on Clinton's late return to the podium after using the bathroom during a commercial break at this weekend's Democratic debate, Trump said, "I know where she went. It's disgusting. I don't want to talk about it. It's disgusting.

Trump also took a shot at Clinton for losing the Democratic nomination to Obama in 2008. “She was favored to win and she got schlonged,” he said. “She lost. I mean, she lost.” [Politico, 12/21/15]

ABC News: Trump's Remarks About Hillary Clinton Are “Sexually Derogatory.” ABC News reported on December 22 that Donald Trump had used a “sexually derogatory remark” in reference to Clinton, in addition to callingher bathroom break “disgusting.” As reported by ABC News:

In one of his most vicious attacks yet against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump used a sexually derogatory remark in reference to her and said that her bathroom break during the last debate was “disgusting.” [ABC News, 12/22/15]

TIME's Daniel White: Trump Criticized Clinton “Using A Vulgar Word.” In a December 21 article, TIME's Daniel White reported that Donald Trump had “used strong language” to discuss Hillary Clinton's bathroom break during Saturday's Democratic debate and “a vulgar word” to criticize Clinton for losing the 2008 nomination:

Donald Trump used strong language Monday to describe Hillary Clinton's bathroom break at Saturday's Democratic presidential debate.

[...]

At a rally in Michigan Monday, the Republican presidential candidate recounted Clinton's trip to the restroom, which caused her to be late back to the debate stage after a commercial break, according to the Washington Post.

“I know where she went -- it's disgusting, I don't want to talk about it,” Trump said. "No, it's too disgusting. Don't say it, it's disgusting.

The women's bathroom at the debate at Saint Anselm College Saturday was farther from the stage than the men's room and occupied by a top staffer for rival candidate Martin O'Malley when Clinton arrived, according to an account in the Boston Globe.

[...]

Trump went on to criticize Clinton for losing the Democratic primary in 2008, using a vulgar word for penis from the 1960s in a novel way.

“She was favored to win, and she got schlonged,” he said. [TIME, 12/21/15]

NBC News: Trump's Attack On Hillary Clinton Was “Vulgar” And “Sexually Derogatory.” NBC News reported on December 22 that Republican front-runner Donald Trump went after Clinton with “a vulgar attack” and a “sexually derogatory comment”:

Donald Trump launched a vulgar attack on Hillary Clinton late Monday, including a sexually derogatory comment about her being “schlonged” by President Barack Obama in 2008.

“Even her race to Obama, she was gonna beat Obama,” the GOP frontrunner told a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “I don't know who would be worse, I don't know. How does it get worse? But she was gonna beat -- she was favored to win -- and she got schlonged. She lost.” [NBC News, 12/22/15]

Fox & Friends Lets Trump Off The Hook By Failing To Bring Up The Vulgar Attacks At All During An Interview

Fox & Friends Lets Donald Trump Off The Hook For His Sexist Attacks Against Hillary Clinton. Despite widespread media criticism for his vulgar remarks against Hillary Clinton, the hosts of Fox & Friends never brought the topic up while interviewing Donald Trump on the December 22 edition of the show. Instead, the hosts provided a platform for Trump to reassert the lies several fact-checking organizations have singled him out for:

ELISABETH HASSELBECK (CO-HOST): I'll be tracking how you're doing in this 2016 race, Mr. Trump. I thank you for your kindness. I do have to ask you here, you have demanded an apology from Hillary Clinton for saying that your-- you on video are a tool that ISIS is using to recruit. Her press secretary said, “Hell no, Hillary Clinton will not be apologizing to Donald Trump for correctly pointing out how his hateful rhetoric only helps ISIS recruit more terrorists.” What is your response today to her team and to the former secretary?

DONALD TRUMP: Well, she lied and she got caught very much so in a lie,and one of her people went on and said there is no video. She said that I was in a video. It's a lie. She lies so much,whether it's her trips where she's going to be shot down, and it turns out that didn't happen, and you know Whitewater was a total lie. There were so many, I mean so many lies. Terrible. And you know, you look at the job she did. She had very little credibility, because of that. But all of a sudden I said wow I'm on a video, that's terrible. I heard I was on a video. She's the one that told everybody.And there is no video at all, and that's been now that's confirmed. And I would say that she should apologize. I would say she should. But she probably won't.

[...]

HASSELBECK: Mr. Trump, I want to ask in fairness, because on the heels of Hillary Clinton and everyone agrees, and it's why she has problems in the polls with trust,that she has an issue with the truth. She's down right allergic to the truth, but PolitiFact also came out and said that you have the biggest lies and the most lies of the year. What's your response to them today for that?

TRUMP: Well, PolitiFact, as an example, I've been proven right. You look at Breitbart, they talk about when I said they were dancing on rooftops, dancing in the streets, I'm right about that. Many articles say they were in New Jersey. There are many articles that say that's true. And PolitiFact, which is by the way a totally left-wing group, they are bad news. I mean as far as checking. You can tell something 100 percent and they will make it out to a lie, if you're a certain person. So that PolitiFact didn't like the idea that I said dancing on rooftops, dancing on the street but that's been confirmed by hundreds of people.

STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): You know what, Donald Trump, yesterday out in New Jersey, where I live, N.J. Advance Media examined, they talked to cops, they talked to people, there were celebrations. There were definitely celebrations recorded by the police, they know that. But they say “thousands and thousands,” that was not the case.

TRUMP: Well, you know, there are a lot of people, and I've had it from a lot of people, we've had hundreds of phone calls. We've had tweets @RealDonaldTrump. We've had a lot of different proof. But we've also had articles in The Washington Post, at the time that it took place. We've had articles elsewhere. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 12/22/15]