Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton refused Tuesday to respond to Donald Trump’s criticism that her failures on immigration and foreign policy were partially to blame for the crises gripping the world today.
She dismissed it as the “constant stream of insults” from the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.
“I don’t want to respond to his constant stream of insults. I find it really at this point absurd,” Mrs. Clinton said when pressed for a response by CNN host Wolf Blitzer.
Mr. Trump made the comments a day before the terrorist attacks that killed at least 31 people in Brussels, for which the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria have claimed responsibility.
The billionaire businessman said that Mrs. Clinton’s actions as secretary of state had helped create the unrest around the world, including the chaos emanating from the failed state of Libya.
He said Mrs. Clinton merely reads her foreign policy speeches from teleprompters, has low energy and lacks the stamina to be president.
While refusing to answer him directly, Mrs. Clinton said she would talk about her qualifications for the job of commander in chief.
“We need steady, strong, smart minds and hands in the White House in the situation room to deal with the problems we face around the world,” she said. “We can’t sit here today and predict all of the challenges and threats that will face that new president but we know we have to be both vigilant and effective in fighting terrorism. I believe I have the track record, the experience and the temperament to do just that.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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