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Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have clashed over jobs, terrorism and race in the first presidential debate.

The attacks turned personal as the Republican accused Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton of not having the right temperament to be president.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton baited Donald Trump by pointing out that he refuses to release his tax returns.

The first presidential debate in New York could be the most watched debate in TV history, with up to 100 million viewers.

Hours before the CNN program, polls suggested the candidates were locked in a dead heat, adding to the tension between the rivals on stage throughout the debate.

Image source Wikimedia

Image source Wikimedia

“I have a feeling that by the end of this evening, I’m going to be blamed for everything that’s ever happened,” Hillary Clinton quipped when prompted to respond to one of Donald Trump’s attacks.

“Why not?” Donald Trump interrupted.

“Yeah, why not,” Hillary Clinton answered.

“You know, just join the debate by saying more crazy things.”

Donald Trump was later thrown on the defensive by moderator Lester Holt for not disclosing his tax returns.

The billionaire claimed he was under a “routine audit” and would release the document once the audit was finished.

However, Donald Trump promised he would release them if Hillary Clinton released 33,000 emails that were deleted during an investigation into her private email set-up while secretary of state.

Hillary Clinton made a brief response to Donald Trump’s attacks about her use of a private email server – which has haunted her on the campaign trail.

She said there were no excuses for the “mistake” and that she takes responsibility for it.

Hillary Clinton was also uncomfortable when defending her changing position on the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

One key exchange was over Donald Trump’s long-held belief that President Barack Obama was born outside the United States, a position he finally reversed two weeks ago.

“He has a long record of engaging in racist behavior,” Hillary Clinton said, adding that it was a “very hurtful” lie that annoyed and bothered the first African American president.

When asked by Lester Holt to explain his change in stance, Donald Trump said he wanted to concentrate on bigger, more important issues.

Hillary Clinton attacked Donald Trump for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin, and suggesting he “find” her emails.

“I was so shocked when Donald publicly invited Putin to hack into Americans. That is just unacceptable… Donald is unfit to be commander-in-chief.”

The September 26 debate was the first of three between the two candidates.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are to face each other in their first TV debate.

The two presidential candidates will take to the stage in New York on September 26.

The duel at Hofstra University could be the most watched debate in TV history, with 100 million viewers.

There are 43 days until the November election, with polls suggesting Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has a narrow lead nationally.

Controversy has marked the debate build-up after Donald Trump said he might invite a woman who had an affair with Bill Clinton in the 1970s.

The Republican tweeted on September 24 that he would perhaps ask Gennifer Flowers to sit in the debate audience, in response to Hillary Clinton having invited Trump critic Mark Cuban.

Gennifer Flowers initially said she would attend but Donald Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, said on September 25 she was not coming and the suggestion was not a serious one.

Photo CBS News

Photo CBS Newsllary

The debate at 21:00 local time will last 90 minutes and is being moderated by NBC news anchor Lester Holt.

It is the most hotly anticipated event so far in a long election campaign, partly due to the contrasting styles of the two candidates.

Donald Trump marched to a stunning win in the Republican primaries against vastly more experienced political opponents, he hurled personal insults and made suggestive remarks on the debate stage.

Hillary Clinton, with decades of experience in politics, usually relies more on a firm and detailed policy grasp, but has problems portraying authenticity and spontaneity.

Observers predict the audience could be as high as that for the Super Bowl and surpass the 80 million who watched Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan debate in 1980.

Three of the topics for the six segments of the debate have already been announced – America’s Direction, Achieving Prosperity and Securing America – but three others, based on events in the news, will be asked during the debate.

In the past week, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have focused on the response to fatal police shootings of African-American men in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as the ensuing protests.

Former Republican President George H.W. Bush will allegedly vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton in November.

According to Politico, George H.W. Bush made the pledge to Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, niece to ex-President John F. Kennedy.

George H.W. Bush’s office has not confirmed the report, with a spokesman saying he was checking.George HW Bush hospitalized

The former president, who held office from 1989 until 1993, has not endorsed Donald Trump.

Neither has his son, Jeb Bush, who unsuccessfully competed for the Republican nomination, or other rivals in the race, Ted Cruz and John Kasich.

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, posted a photo on Facebook of a meeting with George H.W. Bush, alongside the caption: “The President told me he’s voting for Hillary!”

However, George H.W. Bush’s spokesman Jim McGrath was cautious, writing: “Those reporting how @GeorgeHWBush will vote this year, it’s not clear anyone was there to verify KKT [Kathleen Kennedy Townsend]. Still checking, keep your powder dry.”

Donald Trump’s campaign has acknowledged in a statement that President Barack Obama was born in the United States.

Donald Trump had been a leader of the “birther” movement that questioned Hawaii-born Barack Obama’s citizenship.

However, the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign now accuses his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton of introducing the “smear” during the 2008 Democratic nomination contest.

There is no evidence to link Hillary Clinton to the birthers.

In reaction Hillary Clinton tweeted that Barack Obama’s successor “cannot and will not be the man who led the racist birther movement”.Donald Trump criticized by Barack Obama

Donald Trump campaign’s statement signed by senior Trump advisor Jason Miller is far from an admission of error.

Instead, Jason Miller laid the genesis of the birther rumors wrongfully at the feet of Hillary Clinton and her 2008 presidential campaign team.

When they raised questions, Jason Miller said, it was “vicious and conniving” behavior. By broaching the topic three years later, Donald Trump had done a “great service” to the public and president, Jason Miller said.

The statement follows an interview with the Washington Post in which Donald Trump had declined to say Barack Obama had been born in the US, saying instead that he did not want to answer the question.

The claim is a conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was actually born in Kenya and is therefore ineligible to be president.

Reports in various US publications suggest it was circulated in 2008 by die-hard supporters of Hillary Clinton as it became clear that she was not going to win the Democratic nomination.

However, there is no evidence that Hillary Clinton or her then campaign had anything to do with it.

The claim enjoyed a revival with some supporters of Republican candidate John McCain as he fell behind Barack Obama in polls, the Fact Check website reported.

Donald Trump became a vocal questioner of Barack Obama’s citizenship as he was running for a second term as president.

In April 2011, Donald Trump challenged Barack Obama to show his birth certificate, gaining approval from Republicans including former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Weeks later Barack Obama released his actual birth certificate from his native state of Hawaii. At that year’s White House correspondents dinner, President Obama made light of the allegations, mocking Donald Trump.

In 2012, Republican candidate Mitt Romney referred to the discredited theory at a campaign rally, joking that no-one had asked to see his birth certificate – drawing swift condemnation from the Obama campaign.

Hillary Clinton’s personal doctor, Lisa Bardack, says the Democratic nominee is “healthy and fit to serve” as US president as her campaign released updated medical information.

The statement said Hillary Clinton “continues to improve” after a pneumonia diagnosis.

The disclosure came as Donald Trump released health data of his own on The Dr Oz Show.

Hillary Clinton aides say she will return to the campaign trail on September 15 after falling ill in public at the weekend.

Both candidates, among the oldest ever to run for the White House, have been under intense pressure to share more medical information.

Health issues have dominated the race for November’s election since a dizzy spell forced Hillary Clinton, 68, to leave a 9/11 ceremony in New York on September 11.Hillary Clinton South Carolina victory

Hillary Clinton’s campaign said on September 14 that her physician found her complete physical examination was “normal” and she is in “excellent mental condition”.

Dr. Lisa Bardack said Hillary Clinton was “recovering well with antibiotics and rest”.

The campaign said Hillary Clinton had a chest scan on September 9 that showed a “mild, non-contagious bacterial pneumonia”.

Hillary Clinton – who has been recuperating at her suburban New York home – was treated with an antibiotic called Levaquin, which she was prescribed for 10 days.

Dr. Lisa Bardack said: “She continues to remain healthy and fit to serve as President of the United States.”

The physician said Hillary Clinton was up to date on all vaccines, including two given to help prevent pneumonia, Prevnar and Pneumovax.

The letter did not state when she received those vaccines.

Hillary Clinton’s blood pressure (of 100 over 70) and total cholesterol (189) were all within healthy levels, according to the letter.

The former Secretary of State also had a normal mammogram and breast ultrasound, said the doctor.

Hillary Clinton takes thyroid and allergy medicines and the blood thinner Coumadin, prescribed after she suffered a blood clot resulting from a 2012 concussion.

The blood clot was said to have been in a vein in the space between the brain and the skull behind the right ear.

The complication led Hillary Clinton to spend a few days in hospital and take a month off from her job at the State Department.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, has said he is planning to release details this week of a recent physical.

The Republican White House nominee handed over a one-page summary of that examination while appearing on The Dr Oz Show.

Donald Trump told Dr. Oz he is 236lb and 6ft 3in tall, which would make him clinically overweight.

The Dr Oz Show will not be broadcast until September 15 and the campaign declined to immediately disclose the results.

Donald Trump told a rally in Canton, Ohio, on September 14 that he doubted Hilalry Clinton would have the stamina to lead one of his events.

The Republican asked the crowd: “You think Hillary would be able to stand up here for an hour and do this? I don’t think so, I don’t think so.”

Donald Trump later said she was “lying in bed, getting better”.

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Donald Trump’s foundation is under investigation over suspected “impropriety”, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said.

The attorney-general’s office wanted to ensure the foundation is “complying with the laws that govern charities in New York”, he added.

The Trump Foundation has been hit by a number of damaging media stories.

Donald Trump’s team has dismissed Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, as “a partisan hack.”

The attorney-general has endorsed Donald Trump’s chief opponent, Hillary Clinton, for president.

Image source U.S. Marine Corps

Image source U.S. Marine Corps

Donald Trump’s campaign spokesman Jason Miller said Eric Schneiderman had “turned a blind eye to the Clinton Foundation for years”, and called the inquiry “another left-wing hit job designed to distract from Crooked Hillary Clinton’s disastrous week”.

“We have been concerned that the Trump Foundation may have engaged in some impropriety from that point of view,” Eric Schneiderman told CNN.

“And we’ve inquired into it, and we’ve had correspondence with them. I didn’t make a big deal out of it or hold a press conference, but we have been looking into the Trump Foundation to make sure it’s complying with the laws that govern charities in New York.”

According to recent reports, Eric Schneiderman’s office has been investigating the Donald J. Trump Foundation since at least June when it formally questioned a donation made to a group backing Republican Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi in 2013.

The $25,000 payment was made at a time when Pam Bondi’s office was reportedly considering whether to open a fraud investigation into Trump University.

The fraud investigation never happened, although Pam Bondi denies the decision was influenced by the donation she received.

Donald Trump’s aides have already admitted the donation was a mistake resulting from clerical errors, according to reports.

The DoJ has been asked by Democrats in the House of Representatives to investigate the $25,000 donation to Pam Bondi.

Other newspaper investigations allege the Trump Foundation reported donations that the supposed recipients say they never received, and also spent money on the candidate himself.

According to new reports, Hillary Clinton kept her pneumonia diagnosis from most of her staff, choosing to tell only family and close aides.

The Democratic presidential candidate was reportedly concerned that news of the illness would be exploited by her opponents.

Hillary Clinton was diagnosed with walking pneumonia on September 9 and advised to rest, but continued campaigning.

The candidate’s team was forced to go public with the diagnosis on September 11 when she left a 9/11 memorial early, appearing weak.

Speaking to CNN on September 12, Hillary Clinton said she was feeling “so much better”.Hillary-Clinton

Hillary Clinton also told the broadcaster that she had not disclosed her pneumonia diagnosis, saying: “I just didn’t think it was going to be that big a deal.”

She said she had ignored a doctor’s “wise” advice to rest for five days. Hillary Clinton said she hoped to be back on the trail in “the next couple of days”.

She acknowledged she had lost her balance during 9/11 memorial, but said she did not faint.

Hillary Clinton said: “I felt dizzy and I did lose my balance for a minute, but once I got in [the van], once I could sit down, once I could cool off, once I had some water, I immediately started feeling better.”

Some critics questioned why this had only been revealed after 9/11 memorial incident and Hillary Clinton’s communications director conceded the incident had been poorly managed.

Hillary Clinton will be releasing new medical records to help ease concerns about her health, a campaign spokesman said.

Don Fowler, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), urged the party on September 12 to immediately come up with a process to choose a potential successor for Hillary Clinton, in case she is forced to retire with ill health.

He said he expected Hillary Clinton to fully recover but said taking precautions was necessary.

It capped a difficult weekend for Hillary Clinton, who came under attack from rival Republican Donald Trump for calling half of his supporters “deplorable” people on September 9.

On September 12, Donald Trump wished Hillary Clinton a speedy recovery. He also pledged to release the results of a medical examination he took over the past week.

Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested Hillary Clinton is unfit, telling supporters last month she “lacks the mental and physical stamina” to serve as president.

Gary Johnson, one of the third-party candidates in the presidential election, has been ridiculed after being wrong-footed by a question on a key Syrian battleground.

Asked what he would do about the Syrian city of Aleppo, if elected, Libertarian Gary Johnson answered: “What is Aleppo?”

Gary Johnson later admitted he had “blanked” but said he would “get smarter” following the gaffe.

Aleppo has been one of the major flashpoints of Syria’s five-year civil war.

Image source Flickr

Image source Flickr

Known as “Halab” in Arabic, it is one of world’s oldest continually inhabited cities, being mentioned in Egyptian texts from the 20th Century BC.

Fighting in Syria has escalated in recent weeks, with an estimated 250,000 people living in besieged rebel-held areas.

Although Gary Johnson trails far behind Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton in polls, both main party candidates are said to be unpopular among many US voters and analysts believe Johnson could play a part in deciding the result.

Gary Johnson seemed unaware of the crisis in Aleppo when asked for his solution by MSNBC panelist Mike Barnicle, saying: “And what is Aleppo?”

“You’re kidding me?” replied Mike Barnicle, before going on to describe the situation there.

“OK, got it, got it,” said Gary Johnson, before adding: “With regard to Syria, I do think it’s a mess. I think that the only way that we deal with Syria is to join hands with Russia to diplomatically bring that at an end.”

Russia and the United States have largely backed opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, with Russian aircraft providing air support to President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

Gary Johnson later issued a statement saying: “Can I name every city in Syria? No. Should I have identified Aleppo? Yes. Do I understand its significance? Yes.”

Sarah Palin has warned Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump of “massive disappointment” if he backs down on his plan to deport undocumented immigrants.

Donald Trump has signaled he will soften his immigration plan, which was a central plank of his primary campaign.

Instead of sending all 11 million people living illegally in the United States, Donald Trump now says only criminals will go.

The former Alaska governor’s backing of Donald Trump in January was regarded as a coup.

Sarah Palin demonstrated as John McCain’s running mate in 2008 that she possesses a rare star power in the Republican Party.Sarah Palin backs Donald Trump

On August 26, Sarah Palin told the Wall Street Journal that “wishy-washy positions” on core positions would result in “massive disappointment”.

“Parts of the message we heard in the last week are clearly not consistent with the stringent position and message that supporters have received all along,” she said.

Donald Trump made his tough line on immigration central to his win in the primary contests, a triumph that was unexpected when he launched his campaign with a controversial attack on Mexican immigrants as “rapists”.

The New York businessman often derided Republican rivals Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio as weak on immigration and his plan to build a wall on the Mexican border became a chant at his rallies.

However, this week Donald Trump has openly talked about how tough it is to break up families and said people who have been in the United States a long time and not broken any laws should stay.

Donald Trump has not backed down on the wall, but staunch conservatives like columnist Ann Coulter and radio host Rush Limbaugh have also expressed concerns about his change of stance on deportations.

Rival Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton dismissed his new policy as “a desperate effort” while Jeb Bush called Donald Trump’s repositioning “abhorrent”.

Jeb Bush: “I can only say that whatever his views are this morning, they might change this afternoon, and they were different than they were last night, and they’ll be different tomorrow.”

Trump’s new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, insists “nothing has changed in terms of the policies”.

Donald Trump is expected to outline his new immigration policy in a speech next week, after postponing one that was due this week in Colorado.

In his latest appeal to minority voters, Donald Trump has called Democratic rival Hillary Clinton a “bigot”.

Speaking at a Mississippi rally, the Republican presidential nominee said his opponent “sees people of color only as votes not as human beings worthy of a better future”.

Donald Trump added that Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party had taken advantage of the African-American community.

Hillary Clinton fired back, saying “he is taking a hate movement mainstream”.

She called out Donald Trump for questioning the citizenship of President Barack Obama and for failing to disavow former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, adding that he was “peddling bigotry and prejudice and paranoia”.Donald Trump hails Brexit referendum result

Donald Trump took aim at Hillary Clinton during a campaign stop in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 24, where he was joined by Britain’s outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Nigel Farage, who is viewed as a major force behind Brexit, told Trump supporters to “get your walking boots on” and begin campaigning.

In recent days, Donald Trump has attempted to court African-Americans after failing to gain support among this key voting bloc.

Only about 2% of black voters say they will vote for Donald Trump, according to current polls.

Last week, the billionaire made a direct appeal to black voters during a rally in Michigan, where he told a nearly all-white crowd that African-Americans “are living in poverty” and “their schools are no good”.

In an unscripted plea, Donald Trump added: “What do you have to lose?”

Donald Trump has combined his minority outreach with his latest line of attack on Hillary Clinton in the deep-red state of Mississippi.

“She doesn’t care what her policies have done to your communities. She has no remorse,” he said on August 24.

“She’s going to do nothing for Hispanics and African-Americans.”

Hillary Clinton is due to speak later in Reno, Nevada, where she will accuse Donald Trump of “embracing extremism and presenting a divisive and dystopian view of America”.

The polls have Hillary Clinton ahead nationally and in key states, with about 80 days to go before the election.

There a lot of Republican defections in the wake of recent controversy surrounding Donald Trump.

Some of them plan to vote for Hillary Clinton while others refuse to vote for the Republican candidate.Donald Trump San Diego rally

Lezlee Westine, a former aide to President George W. Bush, announced her support for Hillary Clinton in a statement to the Washington Post on Monday.

Wadi Gaitan, a prominent Latino official and chief spokesman for the GOP in Florida, announced he would leave the party over Donald Trump’s candidacy.

However, George P. Bush broke with his father – Jeb Bush – to lend his support to Donald Trump on August 7, the Texas Tribune reported.

George P. Bush urged party members to unite behind his father’s former Republican primary rival.

Other Republicans not voting for Donald Trump are:

  • Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, 2012 Republican presidential nominee
  • Barbara Bush, former first lady
  • Jeb Bush, former Florida governor, 2016 presidential candidate
  • Lindsey Graham, South Carolina senator, 2016 presidential candidate
  • Larry Hogan, Maryland governor
  • William Cohen, former secretary of defense
  • Jeff Flake, Arizona senator
  • Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Florida congresswoman
  • Ben Sasse, Nebraska senator
  • John Kasich, Ohio governor, 2016 presidential candidate
  • Mark Kirk, Illinois senator

Bernie Sanders has announced he will vote for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in November’s presidential election.

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have fought for the Democratic nomination, which the former secretary of state won this month.

Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist, told MSNBC he would do everything in his power to defeat the likely Republican nominee, Donald Trump.

However, he stopped short of saying he would end his campaign.

Bernie Sanders said his job now was to “fight for the strongest possible platform” at the party’s convention in July, including a higher minimum wage.Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton row

However, he dismissed the idea that he should withdraw from the race.

“Why would I want to do that when I want to fight to make sure that we have the best platform that we possibly can, that we win the most delegates that we can,” Bernie Sanders said.

Although Hillary Clinton has won enough of the all-important delegates to secure the nomination, she will not be declared the official nominee until July’s convention.

The Vermont senator has failed to give Hillary Clinton a full endorsement.

Last week Bernie Sanders vowed to work with Hillary Clinton to prevent Donald Trump from winning the White House and promised to continue his fight to “transform” the Democratic party.

When asked if his decision to remain in the race hindered Hillary Clinton’s chances in the general election, Bernie Sanders said: “You talk about disunity, I talk about people in the political process and wanting to have a government and party that represents all of us.”

Hillary Clinton met her defeated rival Bernie Sanders after winning the final primary in Washington DC.

In statements, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate and her rival said they had discussed the campaign, unifying the party and the “dangerous threat” posed by Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Bernie Sanders vowed to do all he could to prevent Donald Trump from being elected, but has not endorsed Hillary Clinton.

Photo USA Today

Photo USA Today

Hillary Clinton got nearly 80% of the vote in June 14 Washington DC primary.

During their meeting, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders discussed common goals, including raising wages for working families and reducing the cost of university education.

The Vermont senator had earlier said the meeting would enable him to determine Hillary Clinton’s commitment to the issues he has campaigned on.

Bernie Sanders – who won primaries in 22 states – has said he will urge the party to be more inclusive of young people and working-class voters at the Democratic convention in July.

Last week, Bernie Sanders met President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden, who both later endorsed Hillary Clinton.

Bernie Sanders has announced he will meet Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton “soon” but has not endorsed her.

After speaking with President Barack Obama, the Vermont senator said he and Hillary Clinton would be meeting to discuss their common goal of defeating Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump.

Bernie Sanders virtually has no path left to the Democratic nomination but has not formally dropped out.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has captured enough delegates to become the nominee.

Speaking outside the White House after his meeting with President Obama, Bernie Sanders detailed a list of issues he plans to bring to the Democratic convention in July.

Bernie Sanders said the United States, as the wealthiest nation in the world, should not have students in huge amounts of debt and seniors and veterans without adequate social security benefits.

Before his talks with Bernie Sanders, President Obama said he hoped the Democrats would “pull things together” after Hillary Clinton became the party’s presumptive nominee for president.

Photo Getty Images

Photo Getty Images

Bernie Sanders has said he will participate in the District of Columbia primary on June 14, despite pressure to step down from party figures.

Barack Obama stopped short of calling for Bernie Sanders to drop out, instead saying the Vermont senator had made Hillary Clinton a “better candidate”.

The president has officially endorsed Hillary Clinton and called for the party to unite against Donald Trump.

Speaking on NBC’s Tonight Show, Barack Obama admitted the race had been “ouchy”.

However, the president went on to say that this was welcome.

“It was a healthy thing for the Democratic Party to have a contested primary,” he said.

“I thought that Bernie Sanders brought enormous energy and new ideas. And he pushed the party and challenged them. I thought it made Hillary a better candidate.”

Barack Obama added: “My hope is, that over the next couple of weeks, we’re able to pull things together.”

Hillary Clinton won four out of six primaries on June 7.

Hillary Trump has pitched to Bernie Sanders’ supporters: “Bernie Sanders must really dislike Crooked Hillary after the way she played him. Many of his supporters, because of trade, will come to me.”

However, Bernie Sanders said his campaign would not support Donald Trump, “a candidate whose major theme is bigotry”.

During his interview, Barack Obama said he was “worried” for the Republicans, saying the US needed a “healthy two-party system”.

President Barack Obama has officially endorsed Democratic Hillary Clinton as the party’s presidential nominee.

Barack Obama’s endorsement came after meeting Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who has been battling Hillary Clinton for the nomination.

President Barack Obama and outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a rare joint interview for CBS’ 60 Minutes

President Barack Obama and outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a rare joint interview for CBS’ 60 Minutes

Speaking in a video tweeted out by Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama said she may be the most qualified person “ever” for the role of president.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are set to start campaigning together soon.

The two ran against one another for the Democratic nomination in 2008 and Barack Obama later made Hillary Clinton Secretary of State.

Speaking to Reuters following the endorsement, Hillary Clinton said Barack Obama’s endorsement “means the world”.

Hillary Clinton said: “It is absolutely a joy and an honor that President Obama and I, over the years, have gone from fierce competitors to true friends.”

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has thanked her supporters for helping her reach a historic moment for women – the nomination for president.

“Tonight’s victory belongs to generations of women and men who struggled and sacrificed to make this moment possible,” Hillary Clinton told cheering crowds at a rally in New York.

“Thanks to you, we’ve reached a milestone.” Hillary-Clinton

The former secretary of state hailed “the first time in our nation’s history that a woman will be a major party’s nominee”.

Earlier, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary in New Jersey, cementing her hold on her party’s nomination.

Hillary Clinton went on to win South Dakota and New Mexico, while her rival Bernie Sanders found victory in the Montana and North Dakota caucuses.

Six states have been voting in primaries on June 7 but the race in California will count the most.

Bernie Sanders had been hoping for a win in that state but early results indicated a significant lead for Hillary Clinton.

New Jersey Chris Christie has decided to drop out of the Republican presidential nomination race after a disappointing finish in New Hampshire.Chris Christie drops out

Chris Christie spent heavily and campaigned the longest in New Hampshire but still came in sixth place.

He was praised for his debate performances and was credited with blunting the momentum of Marco Rubio.

Chris Christie joins former tech executive Carly Fiorina who also left the race after struggling in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Donald Trump has announced his run for the White House in 2016.

The Republican property billionaire has never formally run for president before, but has often talked about it.

Donald Trump, 69, told supporters at New York’s Trump Towers on Fifth Avenue: “I am officially running for president of the United States and we are going to make our country great again.”

The billionaire said his fortune would allow him to be an effective president.

“Our country is in serious trouble. We don’t have victories anymore,” he said.Donald Trump running for president 2016

“When was the last time anyone saw us beating, let’s say, China in a trade deal?

“They kill us. I beat China all the time.”

Donald Trump expressed support for gun rights and said he would protect US government programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

He also said he would “immediately terminate” President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration, which would save undocumented migrants from deportation.

Donald Trump added: “Sadly, the American Dream is dead.

“If I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and strong than ever before. We will make America great again.”

According to his website, Donald J. Trump “is the very definition of the American success story, continually setting the standards of excellence in business, real estate and entertainment”.

According to a recent Quinnipiac University survey, 44% of Americans think the US “would be better off than it is today” if Mitt Romney were president today, versus 38% who say the nation would be in worse shape.

Mitt Romney has denied any interest in another campaign

Mitt Romney has denied any interest in another campaign

These numbers have stoked speculation on whether Mitt Romney could be considering another try for the presidency in 2016.

It would be an unusual move, as most defeated candidates in the general election tend to disappear from the national political scene – or at least give up on their presidential aspirations.

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