Hillary Clinton is visiting only two battleground states this week -- hardly a sign of confidence at her standing 49 days before the election, but an acknowledgement that one task reigns above all: Preparing for her first face-to-face confrontation with Donald Trump.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-M6NdLOsyRULDTNdNc8L3uZKoePFPsoHoX_lrLvJgD5v5wk3jUgv63UGAVN6gM1SneI6vimTkiwbSYlHc92m0hFd3M81Drs21rfo5Nv3hvMxrNWQJjPNSROc3a1voP4WkHJ53rihVWQ0s/s400/Clinton-Trump.jpg)
While she is set to make a quick trip to Florida on Wednesday, after dipping into Pennsylvania on Monday, Clinton will devote the lion’s share of her time huddling with her debate team, gaming out how she will confront Trump next Monday night at Hofstra University.
The lead Clinton enjoyed for months in swing state and national polls has all but evaporated, raising the stakes for the first debate. The terrorism investigation in New York and New Jersey has also added to the urgency of her first meeting with Trump, which will touch on a litany of economic and security issues.
Clinton, who has participated in more debates than any presidential candidate in recent history, faces a new challenge with Trump. She is troupreparing for Trump to confront her on a litany of uncomfortable subjects, ranging from her email scandal to Bill Clinton’s infidelity to her health.
Trump showed he was willing to go there Tuesday when he tweeted, “Hillary Clinton is taking the day off again, she needs the rest. Sleep well Hillary - see you at the debate!”
Clinton, in a radio interview Tuesday, said she was ready to deal with Trump’s attacks.
“I am going to do my very best to communicate as clearly and fearlessly as I can in the face of the insults and the attacks and the bullying and the bigotry that we have seen coming from my opponent,” Clinton said Tuesday on the Steve Harvey Radio show. “I can take it, Steve. I can take that kind of stuff. I have been at this, I understand it is a contact sport.”
Comments