Politics in the USA changed Sunday night as the once sacred tradition of a presidential debate - where candidates typically trade barbs over their vision of the country's future - exploded into something quite chilling during the second debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
The Republican nominee seemingly dismissed the significance of the vulgar language he used toward women a decade ago, apologizing for his conduct but repeatedly saying his remarks were just “locker room talk,” reports the CNN.
With Hillary Clinton’s husband and daughter watching from the audience, Donald Trump lashed into Bill Clinton's infidelities, calling him “abusive”.
Trump said he would appoint a special prosecutor as president to investigate her -- and even threatened that she would be jailed under his administration.
Clinton didn’t take the bait. She repeated first lady Michelle Obama’s philosophy articulated at the Democratic convention: “When they go low, we go high”.
But Clinton made clear that her trouble with Trump goes beyond the partisan clash typical of a presidential campaign.
She said she spent much of the past 48 hours thinking about the video that shows Trump making lewd and sexually aggressive remarks about women. She said that she had differed before with Republicans over policy.
“I never questioned their fitness to serve,” she said. “Donald Trump is different.”
In another unusual twist, Trump slapped down his own running mate, Mike Pence, when the conversation turned to foreign policy. At last week’s vice presidential debate, Pence said the US should be prepared to strike Syrian government targets to alleviate the siege of Aleppo.
“He and I haven’t spoken and I disagree,” Trump said.
That remark could further strain the relationship between Trump and Pence, which was severely tested over the weekend in the aftermath of Trump’s comments on women coming to light.
Finally, the two candidates shook hands, after not doing so during their greeting at the beginning of the debate.
BDST: 0904 HRS, OCT 10, 2016
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