Donald Trump repeatedly calls Hillary Clinton 'shrill' while addressing sexism allegations
Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, made that accusation after claiming that he got called sexist for attacking the business record of one of his GOP rivals, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.
"What's sexist about it? I respect women more than I respect men. Are the men insulted by that, by the way?" Trump asked his audience. "See, they all say 'no.'"
Trump then quickly pivoted to Clinton, the Democratic front-runner who once chided him for saying "I cherish women" instead of "I respect women." Trump labeled that comment "shrill," an adjective that critics say is frequently used to diminish female leaders.
"And I cherish women. Hillary Clinton said, 'You shouldn't cherish women.' I said, 'I do cherish women. I love women!' My mother was like the greatest woman I ever met. The greatest!" Trump said. "And Hillary, who's become very shrill. You know the word shrill? She's become shrill."
Trump then hit Clinton for allegedly promoting "birther" conspiracy theories on President Barack Obama's origins during her 2008 primary campaign against him. (Trump himself has been one of the most prominent people who has questioned the authenticity of Obama's birth certificate.)
"In 2008, she was the original 'birther.' She was the one that started the whole thing. Hillary is a 'birther.' By the way, don't switch your votes to Hillary, please, but Hillary is the one who started it. Check it out," Trump said.
Trump's earlier Fiorina comment was a reference to his high-profile dispute with her after he mocked her "face" in a Rolling Stone profile. Trump later insisted he meant "persona" and was not talking about her appearance. But Fiorina confronted him on the issue at last week's presidential debate.
"I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said," Fiorina charged.
Trump has since repeatedly gone out of his way to tear into Fiorina's rocky tenure in business.
"She did a terrible job at Hewlett-Packard. She did a terrible job at Lucent. I mean, those companies are just a disaster and she destroyed Hewlett-Packard," Trump said Sunday on ABC. "I mean, she's been terrible."