Consensus is rapidly congealing that the "moment" of the second presidential debate was Donald Trump's Nixonian threat to have Hillary Clinton jailed if he is elected, despite the fact that she has committed no crime.
The second presidential debate was preceded by a surplus of drama, but the moment of the night is fast becoming Donald Trump's declaration that if elected, he will do everything in his power to see that Hillary Clinton is imprisoned.
Clinton: Good that someone with Trump's temperament isn't in charge of US law
Trump: "Because you'd be in jail" https://t.co/PMz2LDYPiy
— CNN (@CNN) October 10, 2016
REACTION:
So @realDonaldTrump will ORDER his AG to take certain actions-When Nixon tried that his AG courageously resigned. Trump is dangerous/unfit
— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) October 10, 2016
Wow. Trump just said that if he wins, he is going to prosecute his political opponent. Welcome to Third World, America. #debate
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) October 10, 2016
This is crossing a Rubicon in US politics. It's unprecedented in modern debates. https://t.co/nWvPWYZZbp
— Alex Howard (@digiphile) October 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/Max_Fisher/status/785290215976005632
Only time I've ever heard a candidate threatening to jail his opponent was in the Congo. He lost & was later convicted of war crimes.
— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) October 10, 2016
Nothing is scarier than the "you'd be in jail" line from Trump. What opponents wont he try to jail?
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) October 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/Max_Fisher/status/785289741541502977
Even Nixon didn't threaten to use his attorney general to jail his political opponents.
— Neera Tanden🖖🏼 (@neeratanden) October 10, 2016
Let's be clear: a candidate for president promised to put his opponent in jail if he wins. Everything else is secondary.
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) October 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/JeffreyGoldberg/status/785291726189498373
Only 5 important words tonight: "Because you'd be in jail." They make clear who and what Trump is. That's all that matters.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) October 10, 2016
Trump says if he were in charge, Hillary Clinton would be "in jail." Donald, in America, we defeat election opponents, we don't jail them!
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) October 10, 2016
Also that heavy-sniffing "because you'd be in jail" clip is really, really horrifying to watch.
— Rebecca Traister (@rtraister) October 10, 2016
Looking for precedent for Trump's promise to put Hillary in jail if he wins?
Yanukovych (a past @PaulManafort client) did it to Tymoshenko.
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) October 10, 2016
Leaders who put political opponents in jail -- Robert Mugabe. Castro. Putin. Burmese junta. Stalin. Lenin. #Debate
— John Wood (@johnwoodRTR) October 10, 2016
Guys, Manafort clients always jail their opponents.
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) October 10, 2016
CNN's Dana Bash: Trump's “stunning” threat to put Clinton in jail is what happens in countries with dictators https://t.co/LWM1HDgm00
— Media Matters (@mmfa) October 10, 2016
