Trump calls Clinton 'the devil' and says she should be 'in jail' in astonishing presidential debate
Jamie Roberton
Former Health and Science Producer
Donald Trump has called Hillary Clinton “the devil” and vowed to put her in prison if he ever became president as the two clashed in the most extraordinary, drama-filled and nasty presidential debate in history.
The candidates did not shake hands as they entered the stage in St Louis for the second debate - shortly after Trump set the tone for the evening by parading the women who have accused her husband and former president Bill Clinton of sexual assault.
The Republican, who has been under huge pressure since a tape emerged of him using obscene language to describe women in 2005, defended his comments as “locker room banter” on multiple occasions.
Trump then went on the attack:
promising to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton if he became president
calling Bill Clinton the biggest abuser of women in the history of politics
saying his rival “should be ashamed”, accusing her of attacking her husband’s alleged victims
Clinton said Trump’s remarks about women - in which he boasted about using his fame to “grab them by the p***y” - proved he was unfit to be president.
"With prior Republican nominees, I disagreed with them," she said. “But I never questioned their fitness to serve.
"I think it's clear to anyone who heard [the tape] that it represents exactly who he is."
Trump responded by launching a blistering attack on her husband.
An hour before the debate, Trump appeared alongside three women who claim they were sexually assaulted by the former president.
In an impromptu press conference streamed live to Facebook, one of the women, Juanita Broaddrick, said: "Mr Trump may have said some bad words, but Bill Clinton raped me.”
Trump continued the attack on Clinton during the debate, saying: “There’s never been anybody in the history of politics that’s been so abusive to women…mine are words and his are action.”
He also attacked his rival over her use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state.
“If I win I’m going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation because never has there been so many lies, deception,” he said.
Clinton called Trump’s accusations “absolutely false”, adding: “It’s just awfully good someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the laws in this country.”
Trump replied: “Because you’d be in jail.”
Clinton hit back by quoting First Lady Michelle Obama, saying: "When they go low, we go high."
The pair also clashed over Trump’s tax record, so-called Islamic State, Russia and Clinton’s Wall Street speeches during the 90-minute debate in St Louis, Missouri.
At one point during the debate, Trump also attacked the moderators, saying he felt like it was “three on one”.
Trump faced calls to drop out of the race following the release of the damaging and expletive-ridden video on Friday, with a host of high-profile Republicans abandoning their support.
And he risked further alienating the party when he said he disagreed with his running mate Mike Pence after he said the country should consider using military force against the Assad regime in Syria in last week’s vice-presidential debate.
"We haven't spoken and I disagree with him," Trump said.
There was a brief respite in the bitter and vicious debate when the candidates were asked to name one quality they admired about each other.
Clinton said she had a great deal of respect for Trump’s children, while her rival said: “She doesn’t give up. She’s a fighter and I consider that to be a very good trait.”
Our Washington Correspondent Robert Moore said the debate “veered into national embarrassment” at times.
Trump's campaign team hailed his performance, with ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani saying it "was one of the biggest victories in a presidential debate ever".
With the snap of his fingers, he added: "I think the momentum is going to switch like that."
Kellyanne Conway, his campaign manager, told ITV News that Clinton turned the debate into an "ugly" affair, denying the event with Bill Clinton's accusers was a "stunt".
Nigel Farage, the interim Ukip leader who has appeared on stage with Trump previously, said the Republican nominee "dominated" and that attacks on ex-president Clinton were "fair game".
He told ITV News that the second debate was "electrifying television" but admitted "it wasn't pretty at times".
Brian Fallon, Clinton's press secretary, said Trump's plan to unnerve her "backfired" and he had done nothing to sway undecided voters.
Clinton's communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, tweeted that she was "so proud" of her candidate and argued that voters would be "turned off by the stunts he pulled".
One member of the Clinton campaign team appeared to get carried away during the debate.
Jesse Lehrich, Clinton's foreign policy spokesperson, tweeted "go f*** yourself" to Trump after he suggested that if he was president during the Iraq War, Captain Khan - the fallen Muslim soldier whose grieving family he verbally attacked earlier this year - would have survived.
Lehrich later apologised for his "inappropriate" language.
The candidates meet again on October 19 in Las Vegas for the final debate before Americans decide who will be their next president on November 8.