On the night of the first presidential debate of the 2016 general election, it took about twenty minutes for the tone to shift from quiet and reserved to bombastic and ridiculous.
Trump repeatedly shouted and interrupted Clinton as she was giving her response
While Clinton was talking about what Bill Clinton did to create millions of jobs as president in the 1990s, Trump interrupted to accuse her of not creating jobs over the last 30 years. Clinton reminded Trump she was a senator and Secretary of State and then Trump interrupted again to attack Clinton on NAFTA and then said she supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Clinton does not, but Trump took credit for her position on it.
“Well Donald I know you live in your own reality,” Clinton said.
The full exchange, with interruptions denoted by ellipses surrounding Clinton’s quotes.
Hillary Clinton: So I know how to really work to get new jobs and to get exports that help to create more new jobs…
Donald Trump: You haven’t done it in 30 years or 26 years.
Clinton: …I’ve been a senator…
Trump: You haven’t done it. You haven’t done it.
Clinton: …I’ve been Secretary of State. And I have done…
Trump: Excuse me, your husband signed NAFTA, one of the worst things that ever happened to the manufacturing industry.
Clinton: Well that is your opinion.
Trump: You go to New England, go to Ohio, Pennsylvania, you anywhere you want, Secretary Clinton, and you will see devastation where manufacturers down 30%, 40%, sometimes 50%. NAFTA is the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere, but certainly ever in this country. Now you want to approve Trans-Pacific Partnership. You were totally in favor of it then you heard what I was saying how bad it is and said I can’t win that debate. And you know if you did win, you would approve that and that will be almost as bad as NAFTA. Nothing will ever top NAFTA.
Clinton: That is just not accurate. I was against it once it was finally negotiated and the terms were laid out. I wrote about that…
Trump: You called it the gold standard. You called it the gold standard of trade deals. You said it was the finest deal you’ve ever seen.
Clinton: No.
Trump: And then you heard what I said about it and then you said you were against it.
Clinton: Well, Donald, I know you live in your own reality, but that is not…
Trump: Oh, yeah?
Clinton: …the facts. The facts are I did say, I hoped it would be a good deal, but when it was negotiated…
Trump: Not.
Clinton: Which I was not responsible for. I concluded it wasn’t. I wrote about that…
Trump: So is it President Obama’s fault? Is it President Obama’s fault?
Clinton: …before you even announced. Look, there are…
Trump: Secretary, is it President Obama’s fault? Because he’s pushing it.