Donald Trump at Denver rally: 'I’ve got to win here'
DENVER – Donald Trump launched a barrage of criticism against Hillary Clinton on Friday as he toured the state, verbally attacking her before huge crowds at his rallies and declaring on Twitter that she’s a “loose cannon with extraordinarily bad judgement.”
The comments by the Republican Party’s presidential nominee were his first after Clinton accepted the Democratic Party nomination on Thursday. Trump spoke in consistently conservative Colorado Springs on Friday afternoon and then in Denver on Friday evening, declaring before a crowd of more than 6,000 that “I’ve got to win here.”
Polls show Clinton with a sizable lead in Colorado, which President Obama carried twice, and Clinton has withdrawn significant amounts of advertising from the airwaves on the belief her lead is solid.
“We have created a movement,” Trump said to the roaring crowd inside a hangar at the Wings over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. “I mean, look at this.”
Speaking without a teleprompter, Trump addressed the rowdy crowd for about 40 minutes in a speech that ranged from national security, respect for police officers and torture, to the use of economic sanctions to force American companies to keep jobs here. His speech was long on generalities and short on specifics. He promised better care for veterans and more support for police and the military, adding that his family has more star power than the speakers at the Democratic National Convention.
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide
With convention season over, the sprint to November starts
Declaring that he has one of the world’s best memories, Trump also told his his audience to turn around and face the media, corralled in the back, calling them “the world’s most dishonest people.” After the rally, at least two people walking past the media's corral screamed epithets at the reporters covering the rally. Trump has for months complained the media won’t show or disclose the size of his audiences.
The Denver Fire Department said more than 6,000 people attended Friday’s rally, and at least another 300 were turned away to due to overcrowding concerns. At his Colorado Springs rally earlier in the day, Trump said the city fire marshal must be a Clinton supporter because he limited the crowd size.
Trump didn't stop there. The Republican nominee also said waterboarding should be used against terrorists to get information — “I’m not saying it’s pleasant. But believe me it works.”
The New York billionaire didn't hold back on his assessment on the Democratic convention either. Trump called Clinton’s speech “so average,” and expressed surprise that she mentioned him by name, which he said was unclassy. As he spoke, members of the crowd chanted “lock her up,” a refrain from the Republican convention in Cleveland. Trump didn’t appear to comment on the chant, but neither did he halt it.
Saying his convention speech was “optimistic” because it highlighted problems faced by America that he alone can fix, including attacking radical Islamic terrorism. He also repeatedly discussed how his speech got better ratings than Clinton.
Trump also promised to use Caterpillar heavy equipment to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, which Mexico will pay for. He said that if the Great Wall of China could be built by hand, his border wall could be built “so fast your head will spin.
Reports: Feds probing Clinton campaign hack
The GOP candidate later laughed at suggestions he wanted to “hit” his opponents after saying so at a rally on Thursday night. Grabbing his lip, Trump said he obviously meant it verbally, not as a physical threat.
Some Republicans worry Trump’s focus on his candidacy will hurt down-ballot candidates who would benefit from the publicity he could bring them. Trump failed to mention any fellow Republican candidates running for statewide office. His Colorado Springs rally crowd demanded to hear from Republican U.S. Senate candidate Darryl Glenn, who then took the stage, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported.
Towards the end of his rally, Trump predicted that America will become Venezuela if Clinton wins the presidency and makes Supreme Court choices. “We don’t want to be the stupid country anymore,” Trump said. “We have to win this state in November.”
In a statement, the Colorado Democratic Party called Trump’s speeches “incoherent ramblings.”
