Clinton Says Trump 'Shouldn't Have His Hands On Our Economy'
COLUMBUS, Ohio (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says GOP rival Donald Trump would send the U.S. economy back into recession.
In a speech Tuesday in Ohio, the former secretary of state is questioning Trump's temperament to guide the economy.
She said economists of all political ideologies agree that "Trump's ideas would be disastrous.'' Those hit the hardest by his plans, she says, are the same Americans who faced the toughest fight to recover from the 2008 recession.
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"Just like he shouldn't have his finger on the button, he shouldn't have his hands on our economy,'' she said.
She also cited remarks he made that the U.S. could sell off assets, default on its debt and that wages are too high and repeated a comment he made that pregnant employees are an "inconvenience.''
Clinton said markets "rise and fall'' based on comments made by presidential candidates. Suggesting the United States could default on its debt could cause a "global panic,'' she added.
"We can't let these loose, careless remarks get any credence in our electorate and around the world,'' she said.
She also went after Trump's business record, casting him as little more than a con artist.
She said he has defrauded his customers and failed to pay his contractors and other partners, including small businesses, what they are owed.
Clinton also compared his campaign promises to those he made to students at Trump University, currently being sued for fraud.
"The same people he's trying to get to vote for him now are people he's been exploiting for years,'' she says.
She also highlighted his numerous bankruptcies, including his Atlantic City casinos.
"He's written a lot of books about his businesses. They all seem to end on chapter 11,'' she said.
Clinton's economic address in one of the nation's top battleground states comes after a similar case she made against Trump in a searing takedown of his foreign policy credentials earlier this month.
As her speech was underway Tuesday, Trump began live-tweeting a series of attacks against Clinton.
In one tweet, he said, "Hillary says this election is about judgment. She's right. Her judgement has killed thousands, unleashed ISIS and wrecked the economy."
In another tweet, he said "How can Hillary run the economy when she can't even send emails without putting [the] entire nation at risk?"
In that one, he appears to be referring to Clinton blending her personal and official emails on a homebrew server in her house, while she was secretary of state.
Trump also called himself the "king of debt" in another tweet and said "That has been great for me as a businessman, but is bad for the country. I made a fortune off of debt, will fix U.S."
Trump also was tweeting retorts on immigration, trade and Clinton's judgment.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump announced that he will be making "a big speech" Wednesday "to discuss the failed policies and bad judgement of Crooked Hillary Clinton."
Republican Party officials will be watching for any changes in Trump's campaign style and strategy following the billionaire businessman's decision to oust top aide Corey Lewandowski on Monday.
Trump told "The O'Reilly Factor'' Monday night the time had come for a change in direction, something many in the party have been demanding for weeks.
Lewandowski said he understood the move and that he still supports Trump. Lewandowski shared responsibility for running Trump's campaign with longtime political strategist Paul Manafort.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
