STANFORD, Calif. (AP) – Hillary Clinton is doing what Republican rivals now say they took far too long to do: Taking Donald Trump seriously.
In interviews and foreign policy addresses this week, the Democratic front-runner has worked to undercut Trump’s credentials in the wake of deadly bombings in Brussels. Her goal is to transform the voters’ vision of the bombastic reality TV star into a potential commander in chief with his finger on a nuclear trigger – an image her team believes will repel voters in November.
Clinton is casting herself as a calm harbor in a stormy world, frequently mentioning the need for “steady hands.” The comment is a clear reference to Trump with the implication he’d never fill that need.
In a speech Wednesday Stanford University, Clinton called for “strong, smart, steady leadership,” arguing that recent comments from Republicans Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz show they are not up to the task of combatting Islamic militants.
“Turning our back on our alliances, or turning our alliance into a protection racket would reverse decades of bipartisan American leadership and send a dangerous signal to friend and foe alike,” she said, referencing a call by Trump to lessen U.S. involvement in NATO. “Putin already hopes to divide Europe. If Mr. Trump gets his way, it will be like Christmas in the Kremlin.”