Chelsea Clinton dismisses Donald Trump's infidelity threat

Jamie Roberton

Former Health and Science Producer

Chelsea Clinton has brushed off Donald Trump's threat to bring up her father's infidelities.

In the final moments of Monday's tense presidential debate, Mr Trump claimed he was going to say something "extremely rough to Hillary, to her family" but decided he could not do it.

He later told reporters that he was referring to Bill Clinton's extra-marital affairs but chose to hold back out of "respect for Chelsea Clinton".

Bill and Hillary Clinton's only child said the Republican nominee was using the subject as a "distraction from his inability to talk about what's actually at stake in this election."

Donald Trump speaks during the first presidential election debate on Monday. Credit: Reuters

Mrs Clinton said what she found "most troubling" were Mr Trump's attacks on "women, Muslims, Americans with disabilities, a Gold Star family."

"I mean that, to me, is far more troubling than whatever his most recent screed against my mum or my family," she told Cosmopolitan magazine.

She added: "I don't remember a time in my life when my parents and my family weren't being attacked so it just sort of seems to be in that tradition."

Chelsea Clinton defended the verbal attack on her parents. Credit: PA

Mrs Clinton also revealed during the interview that even she was unaware that her mother had been diagnosed with pneumonia last month.

She said she found out when her mother came over to her apartment after falling ill at a 9/11 memorial event.

"I think she just expected she would power through it as she has always powered through everything.

"As her daughter, I wish she would have listened to her doctor and taken a couple days off when her doctor told her she needed to get some rest, and I’m grateful she did finally listen to her doctor and she took a couple days off."