News

Hillary Clinton & Bernie Sanders' Quotes About Donald Trump Seriously Question His Ability To Lead

by Mara Flanagan

Trump is under fire again. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders' quotes about Donald Trump during the Democratic debate show their lack of confidence in the billionaire's ability to lead. So far, Trump has been silent on Twitter, which, to be completely honest, is absolutely shocking. Rarely is The Donald ever quiet, especially when it comes to people taking him to task for his policies, but even more so when people question his character. It's clear that Democrats don't have any love for Trump, but what's most interesting is to see that the two Democratic frontrunners are coming together to pledge that no matter who the candidate is (though they both respectively hope it's them), they'll do everything in their power to remind the American people that Trump is no good for America. In fact, he's no good for anyone.

Their quotes tonight remind us of one big thing: Trump has no proven track record for leading the country. Sanders and Clinton have never been president, obviously, but their combined experience make them much more well-suited for the role of the presidency than a businessman like Donald Trump. It's not exactly fascinating to watch these two candidates join figurative hands to take down Trump, but it does show that the Democrats want a fair battle for the presidency — and a fair battle, it seems, is one that does not include Trump as the frontrunner for the GOP. At this point, they're basically begging any of the other GOP candidates to climb to the top. I'm pretty sure they'd welcome a knowledgable candidate with open arms at this point.

Here's what both candidates had to say about The Donald tonight, and ooh, it was good:

What Clinton Said:

About Trump and ISIS:

He is becoming ISIS' best recruiter.
If you’re going to put together a coalition in the region to take on the threat of ISIS, you don’t want to alienate the very countries and people you need to be a part of the coalition.

On Muslims in America:

They are going to people showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists.
And Mr. Trump has a great capacity to use bluster and bigotry to inflame people and to make them think there are easy answers to very complex questions.

About Trump and fear:

I worry greatly that the rhetoric coming from the Republicans, particularly Donald Trump, is sending a message to Muslims here in the United States and literally around the world that there is a clash of civilizations, that there is some kind of western plot or even war against Islam, which then I believe fans the flames of radicalization.

What Sanders Said:

About Trump and the minimum wage:

He thinks a low minimum wage in America is a good idea.

On Trump and the economy:

What I say to those people who go to Donald Trump's rallies, understand, he thinks a low minimum wage in America is a good idea. I believe we stand together to address the real issues facing this country, not allow them to divide us by race or where we come from. Let’s create a country that works for all of us, not the handful on top.

About Trump and fear:

Somebody like a Trump comes along and says: ‘I know the answers! The answer is that all of the Mexicans, they’re criminals and rapists. We gotta hate the Mexicans, those are your enemies. We hate all the Muslims, because all the Muslims are terrorists, we gotta hate the Muslims.’ Meanwhile the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Trump may count on shocking rhetoric to get his name in the news, but Clinton and Sanders reaffirmed the importance of not playing into his focus on fear. The two candidates encouraged viewers to think twice about Trump's approach to fighting terrorism.

Image: Andrew Burton/Getty Images