World

Donald Trump stance is a ‘direct threat' to US democracy warns Hillary Clinton

Interpretive park ranger Caitlin Kostic speaks to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as she gives him a tour at Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Picture by Evan Vucci, Associated Press
Interpretive park ranger Caitlin Kostic speaks to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as she gives him a tour at Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Picture by Evan Vucci, Associated Press Interpretive park ranger Caitlin Kostic speaks to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as she gives him a tour at Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Picture by Evan Vucci, Associated Press

HILLARY Clinton has described Donald Trump's suggestion that he would not concede if he lost the US presidential election as a "direct threat to our democracy", while her unrepentant rival continued to insist that the system was "rigged".

Speaking at a rally in Philadelphia on Saturday night, Democrat White House contender Mrs Clinton said the United States always had a "peaceful transfer of power" and "that is the difference between the rule of law and the rule of strong men".

During the closing days of the race the former US first lady and secretary of state is trying to stress a positive, unifying vision.

In a nod to the frustrations of many who have swung behind Republican Mr Trump, she said "anger is not a plan" and she would deal with their "legitimate concerns" as president.

She told reporters on her plane in Pittsburgh that after three debates she "doesn't even think about responding" to Mr Trump any more and was "going to let the American people decide what he offers and what we offer".

"He can say whatever he wants to. He can run his campaign however he wants to. He can go off on tangents. He can go to Gettysburg and say he's going to sue women who've made accusations against him," she said.

Mrs Clinton said she would talk about what the next president should do and hoped voters made their choice based on that.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally Picture by Evan Vucci, Associated Press
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally Picture by Evan Vucci, Associated Press Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally Picture by Evan Vucci, Associated Press

Meanwhile, in Cleveland, Ohio, and Virginia Beach, huge crowds greeted billionaire businessman Mr Trump as he visited the battleground states.

Speaking at the I-X Centre in Cleveland, he claimed the election could be influenced by widespread voter fraud, despite election officials and academics insisting he is wrong.

Mr Trump is painting the election as a choice between change and more of the same under Mrs Clinton.

And steering his campaign towards controversy yet again, he vowed to sue every woman who had accused him of sexual assault or other inappropriate behaviour.

He called them "liars" whose allegations, he said, were orchestrated by Democrats.

Mr Trump's blunt threat of legal action eclipsed his planned focus on serious-minded policy during a speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Though his campaign had billed the speech as a chance for him to lay out a to-do list for his first 100 days as president, he seemed unable to restrain himself from relitigating grievances with Mrs Clinton, the media and especially the women who have come forward in recent days.

"All of these liars will be sued once the election is over," he said.

He added later: "I look so forward to doing that."

Nearly a dozen women have publicly accused Mr Trump of unwanted advances or sexual assault in the weeks since a 2005 recording emerged in which the former reality TV star boasted of kissing women and groping their genitals without their consent.

The latest came on Saturday, when an adult film actress said he kissed her and two other women on the lips "without asking for permission" when they met him after a golf tournament in 2006.

Mr Trump has denied all the allegations, while insisting some of the women were not attractive enough for him to want to pursue.

"Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign," he said.

Without offering evidence, he surmised that Mrs Clinton or the Democratic National Committee had put the women up to it.