HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton kicked off the first presidential debate Monday by questioning whether opponent Donald Trump is qualified to hold the White House.
Mrs. Clinton needled Mr. Trump from the start, saying he was born wealthy and is focused on helping the wealthy with an economic policy skewed toward the rich.
“I call it ’Trumped-up trickle down,” she said.
Mr. Trump retorted that his father gave him a small loan he turned into a billion-dollar company, and said he’d do the same for the U.S. And he repeatedly brought the debate back to trade, where he has questioned Mrs. Clinton’s commitment.
“She’s been doing this 30 years. Why hasn’t she made the agreements better?” he said.
He also seemed intent on not taking Mrs. Clinton’s baiting. The first time he addressed her, he called her “Secretary Clinton” — a reference to her most recent government job at the State Department — then asked if that was an okay way to address her.
VOTE NOW: Who won the first presidential debate?
“I want you to be very happy. It’s very important to me,” he said.
Mrs. Clinton, the first woman to claim the nomination of a major political party, won her place on stage after emerging from a weak field of candidates, taking far longer than analysts had predicted to overcome a spirited challenge from Sen. Bernard Sanders.
Meanwhile Mr. Trump, after years of flirting with a run, took the plunge and fended off a massive field of opponents, riding a wave of discontent to claim the GOP nomination. Along the way he bested four senators and a slate of sitting governors — including the brother and son of the two most recent Republican presidents.
Even the introductions of the spouses highlighted the differences in the campaign. Mrs. Clinton’s husband is a former president whose political machine has helped her ascend to the heights of politics. Mr. Trump’s wife, Melania, is a former fashion model who immigrated from Slovenia.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.