On body language, the two diverged, too. Mrs. Clinton was far more likely to look audience members in the eye, nod along as they expressed concern or curiosity, and give relatively direct if sometimes uncomfortable answers. Mr. Trump came off as more relaxed but also far lighter on details, and was seldom pressed by Mr. Lauer or the veterans.
One of the most surprising moments of the night came when Mr. Trump chose to answer a question about the confidential national security briefings that he has recently begun to receive — a topic that presidents and presidential candidates rarely discuss with any openness.
Mr. Trump, asked if he learned anything alarming, said, “There was one thing that shocked me” and suggested that it involved a decision by President Obama and Mrs. Clinton that amounted to “a total disaster.”
He then went further, asserting that Mr. Obama “did not follow what our experts said to do,” and even claimed that the government officials who provided the briefing were “not happy” with Mr. Obama. Explaining the basis of that assessment, Mr. Trump said, “I was pretty good with the body language.”
It was a classic Trump moment — a dark insinuation without evidence — and his campaign did not immediately provide details.
Mr. Trump ridiculed Mr. Obama as much as he did Mrs. Clinton during his 25-minute appearance, deriding the president over the recent diplomatic incident in China where local officials would not provide the requisite staircase for Air Force One. “They wouldn’t give him stairs,” Mr. Trump said. |
