Colorado Politics

Donald Trump excoriates Clinton over emails at Colorado rally

GOLDEN – Seeking to capitalize on the FBI’s renewed interest in Hillary Clinton’s emails, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump fired up his supporters at a rally Saturday with denunciations of his Democratic opponent.

“She is so guilty. She is so guilty. She is so guilty,” he said to thunderous applause at the noon rally in Jefferson County.

Over the objections of the U.S. Justice Department, FBI Director James Comey notified Congress on Friday that his agency was again reviewing Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

The announcement set off a firestorm of criticism from Clinton and other Democrats as inappropriate with just over a week to go before Election Day, but it has re-energized Trump’s campaign.

During his 50-minute speech in Colorado, Trump referred to Clinton’s mishandling of emails and the FBI’s initial decision not to recommend prosecution as the low point in the history of America’s legal system.

He praised the FBI’s announcement, which came in response to finding additional emails on a computer Clinton top aide, Huma Abedin, shared with her estranged husband, disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner. The computer was seized in a sexting investigation involving Weiner.

“It’s everybody’s deepest hope that justice at last can be properly delivered,” Trump said, “Hillary has no one but herself to blame for her troubles.”

Trump claimed without proof that Clinton offered U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch a reappointment as attorney general to avoid prosecution.

“This is what we mean when we call it a rigged system,” Trump said.

The New York real estate mogul also kept up his attacks on his usual targets: Obamacare – “a total catastrophe for Colorado;” the “dishonest” media; the “rigged” election, including his distrust of Colorado’s mail-in ballots; and corruption in Washington.

“When the system is rigged, people lose hope,” he said.

Amid jabs at Clinton and the media, Trump pitched his plan to cut corporate taxes from 35 percent to 15 percent. He spoke in favor of coal and said wind energy is “OK,” but “sometimes the wind doesn’t blow.”

Trump hit on his other common themes: beefing up the military, a bigger tax cut than Ronald Reagan delivered, school choice, caring for veterans, turning away refugees and defending the borders with a wall Mexico will pay for “100 percent.”

Besides the rally on the outskirts of Denver, Trump was expected to attend a rally in Arizona on Saturday, then return to Colorado on Sunday for an event at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley at 4 p.m.

Don Ytterberg, chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party, revved up the crowd at the outset.

“You guys might be the best-looking bunch of deplorables I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said, as the crowd of thousands roared at Clinton’s derisive description of many of Trump’s supporters.

State Sen. Laura Woods of Westminster, who is in a battle to retain her seat against Rachel Zenzinger, began her speech to the crowd with “Lock her up!” – a familiar refrain at Trump rallies referring to Clinton alleged crimes – and called herself “a patriot to the core.”

“Victory on Nov. 9 is going to be very sweet,” she said.

Bob Gray, a retiree from Teller County who has attended four of Trump’s five speeches in Colorado since June, called the FBI’s renewed look at the emails in relation to the Clinton case “a game-changer.”

Nearly an hour and a half before Trump’s speech, the first chants started. “U-S-A” quickly ceded to “Lock here up.”

“Maybe the media will do its job for a week since they’ve been on Mr. Trump’s back for a year,” said Mike Mitchell, a laborer from Douglas County. “This election is going to go as the most corrupt in the history of America. You can quote me on that.”

Tags bunch slider

PREV

PREVIOUS

? Cruz rallies support for Glenn, praises GOP Senate nominee's ‘backbone’

The Texas senator and former presidential candidate whose endorsement helped propel Republican Darryl Glenn across the finish line in the crowded U.S. Senate primary returned to Colorado Wednesday to support Glenn’s uphill battle to unseat Democrat Michael Bennet. “It is entirely possible, 13 days from today, that control of the Senate will come down to […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Election exposes generational divide among Hispanics

Donald Trump’s rhetoric on immigration is testing a long-term trend among Hispanics: Members of a family that has been in the country for multiple generations and uses primarily English are more likely to vote Republican than those who more recently arrived in the United States. The number of Latinos in the United States is growing, […]


Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests