Trump Congratulated Himself After First Debate For Not Mentioning Bill Clinton’s Infidelity, Indicated He Would Bring It Up At Second Debate

Trump: “I'm Really Happy I Was Able To Hold Back On The Indiscretions In Respect To Bill Clinton.” Moments after the conclusion of the first presidential debate on September 26, Donald Trump told CNN’s Dana Bash, ”I'm really happy I was able to hold back on the indiscretions in respect to Bill Clinton. Because I have a lot of respect for Chelsea Clinton.” He added that “maybe” he’ll bring it up at the next debate on October 9. [CNN.com, 9/27/16]

Days Before Second Debate, Trump Hints He Will Attack Clintons’ Marriage

CNN: “It Now Appears That Trump” Will Attack Bill Clinton During Debate. An October 9 CNN.com article on what to expect from Trump during tonight’s presidential debate explained that the GOP nominee “has already given two indications that he is preparing to target the former president -- and the Clintons’ marriage -- on the debate stage.” From the article:

After the first debate, Trump congratulated himself for refraining from bringing up Bill Clinton's “indiscretions.”

“I'm really happy I was able to hold back on the indiscretions in respect to Bill Clinton. Because I have a lot of respect for Chelsea Clinton,” he told CNN's Dana Bash. When pressed by Bash on what he would have said, Trump responded: “Maybe I'll tell you at the next debate.”

It now appears that Trump may do exactly that on Sunday.

The GOP nominee has already given two indications that he is preparing to target the former president -- and the Clintons' marriage -- on the debate stage.

Immediately after the “Access Hollywood” video was released, Trump said in a statement: “Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course - not even close.”

In the video message hours later, Trump capped his curt apology with this: “Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary Clinton has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimated his victims.”

“We will discuss this more in the coming days,” Trump added.

And he retweeted two tweets from Juanita Broaddrick, the Arkansas nursing home administrator who alleged that Bill Clinton had raped her in 1978. Clinton has denied the allegations, and there was never any legal action against him. [CNN.com, 10/9/16]

Trump’s Media Sycophants And Surrogates Praised Trump’s “Restraint” After First Debate For Not Bringing Up Clintons’ Marriage

Fox’s Newt Gingrich Was “Very Proud” Of Trump For Not Bringing Up Infidelity: “He Was A Gentleman.” In an interview on Fox News host Sean Hannity’s radio show, Fox contributor and Trump surrogate Newt Gingrich said he was “very proud that at the very end when she attacked him and went off on this whole rant about women … I’m sure he said to himself, ‘a president of the United States shouldn’t attack somebody personally when their daughter is sitting in the audience.’” Gingrich continued, saying, “He proved that he had the discipline to remain as a decent guy even when she was disgusting.” Gingrich added, “he came off looking like a gentleman and she came off looking pretty mean and miserable” for bringing up Trump’s previous demeaning public statements about a beauty pageant winner whom he thought had gained too much weight. [BuzzFeed, 9/29/16]

Trump Surrogate Rudy Giuliani: Trump Was Too “Reserved” And “Gentlemanly” To Talk About Monica Lewinsky. In the spin room after the debate, Trump surrogate Rudy Giuliani said that, were he on the debate stage, “I sure would’ve talked about what [Hillary Clinton] did to Monica Lewinsky,” but Trump was too “reserved” and “gentlemanly” to say those things. Giuliani also said Hillary Clinton was “too stupid to be president” for not realizing Lewinsky was telling the truth. [Politico, 9/27/16; Elite Daily, 9/27/16]

Eric Trump: It Took “Courage” To Refrain From Mentioning Bill Clinton’s Infidelity. During a September 28 appearance on conservative Iowa radio host Simon Conway’s show, Trump’s younger son Eric said of the GOP presidential nominee:

[H]e really took the high ground where he had the opportunity to go very, very low. And I’m proud of him for doing that. I mean, I’m really proud of him for doing that. And I think people recognize that. I mean, there are a lot of people who came up to me, including many in the media, who said listen, he could’ve just crushed her on that last question. And he would’ve probably hurt a family if he did.

I don’t know, I think that took a lot of courage in so many regards and I think he really answered that well and took the high ground and kept the high road. [BuzzFeed, 9/28/16]

Fox’s Sean Hannity: “I Just Don’t Think I Would Have Shown That Restraint.” In a post-debate interview on Fox’s Hannity, Donald Trump Jr. said his father “was very restrained” about personal attacks in the debate, and when asked by host Sean Hannity if he was “proud” of his father for that, Trump Jr. said, “I am.” During a later segment with Gingrich, who also said he was “proud” of Trump’s debate performance, Hannity mentioned her earlier conversation with Trump Jr. and said “I just don’t think I would have shown that restraint.” From the September 26 edition of Fox News’ Hannity:

DONALD TRUMP JR.: [B]y the way, I was actually pretty amazed. He didn't take the cheap shot, when she accused him of all of these things, he didn't take the cheap shot about Bill Clinton -

SEAN HANNITY (HOST): That would have been easy.

[Cross Talk]

TRUMP, JR: -- and come out, accusing him of all sorts of stuff -

HANNITY: Yes.

TRUMP, JR: You know what? It was almost too easy and I was actually really happy that, you know, I perhaps would have done it myself, but he was very restrained about it. He didn't want to do it, certainly not in front of his family. You can't have it both ways and that's what the politicians always -

HANNITY: Are you proud of your dad tonight?

TRUMP, JR: I am. I am.

[...]

NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, via satellite: I think that may have been the best single moment of the entire debate. Hillary was mean, nasty, personal, knew it was a cheap shot, knew it was coming at the end of the debate; deliberately tried to crowd him; he had a perfect moment there to clobber her and he looked over at Chelsea and thought, you know, I'm not going to do it.

That may have been the best moment of the whole debate for Donald Trump because it showed that unlike Hillary Clinton, for whom nothing is too mean or despicable, he actually was willing to set a standard of being decent, and I'm very proud of him. I think it did -- after what she'd said about him just then, and knowing his temper, he must have been very tempted and it took a lot of self-control and it was 100-percent the right thing.

HANNITY: You know, I was talking to Don Jr. about this. I just don't think I would have shown that restraint. I don't think I could have done that. [Fox News, Hannity, 9/26/16, via Nexis]