US election: Clinton calls half of Trump supporters 'deplorables'

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionHillary Clinton was speaking at an LGBT fundraiser in New York

Speaking at a fundraiser, she said they were "racist, sexist, xenophobic, Islamophobic - you name it".US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has called half of Donald Trump's supporters a "basket of deplorables".

She then went on to say the rest of the Republican nominee's supporters were "just desperate for change".

Mr Trump's campaign manager said Mrs Clinton had insulted "millions of Americans", with her comments.

Polls released earlier this week suggest Mr Trump is gaining on Mrs Clinton, and the rivals are neck-and-neck in the key battleground states of Ohio and Florida.

In other developments:

• Donald Trump said he would order an attack on Iranian boats if they approached US Navy ships. He appeared to be referring to a number of encounters between US and Iranian naval vessels in the Persian Gulf.
• Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence has published his tax returns, putting pressure on Mr Trump to do the same
• The Clinton Presidential Library has released photos of Bill Clinton and Donald Trump from 2000 - when the families were on much friendlier terms

Image copyrightREUTERS

Image captionPhotos have been released showing Donald Trump with Bill Clinton in more friendly times

Alt-Right group

Mrs Clinton's comments about her opponent's supporters were made at an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) fundraiser in New York.

"To just be grossly generalistic, you can put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the 'basket of deplorables'. Unfortunately there are people like that, and he has lifted them up," she said.

But she said the other half of his supporters were individuals who felt let down by the economy and government and were desperate for change.

"They don't buy everything he says, but he seems to hold out some hope that their lives will be different. Those are people we have to understand and empathise with as well."

Her campaign manager tweeted to say the "deplorables" she referred to were the Alt-Right - a far right, mainly online, group who critics accuse of being bigoted white nationalists.

Image copyright@NICKMERRILL

But Mr Trump's campaign manager felt it was a jibe at many others:

Image copyright@KELLYANNEPOLLS

Singer Barbara Streisand performed at the fundraiser, with a version of Stephen Sondheim's song Send in the Clowns, parodying Mr Trump.