How Hillary Clinton ridiculed and took down Donald Trump

Hillary Clinton’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Thursday was both a historic, long-awaited moment for America and a sobering reminder of the direct threat Donald Trump presents to US democracy and national security. It was immensely powerful to watch a woman stand at the podium and declare before the nation that "when there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit." And prior to Clinton’s remarks, Khizr Khan, with his wife by his side, delivered what was perhaps the most important speech to come out of both the Republican and Democratic conventions.

Mr. Khan spoke about his son, Muslim US soldier, Humayun Khan, who died during combat operations in Iraq in 2004, noting that “if it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America.” Mr. Khan eloquently presented the threat that Trump represents to the very fabric of our nation’s ideals, urging Trump to read the constitution and to “look for the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of law’.” He demanded Trump recognize those who have died while fighting for this country, who were of “all faiths, genders and ethnicities.”

In that moment, Mr. Khan refused to let Trump – whose campaign has supplied nonstop vitriol about the supposed danger of Muslims and immigrants - erase the contributions that they have made to their country. “Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? He asked the GOP nominee. “Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America…You have sacrificed nothing and no one.” In that single speech, Mr. Khan explained the beauty and the possibilities that the US offers - and the sacrifices the US military often makes to preserve those possibilities - more than Trump ever has and ever could.

Chief among the myriad of reasons I believe Clinton must be elected come November include Trump’s horrifying bigotry and the support he has garnered among anti-Semites and white nationalists; notably, former Klu Klux Klan (KKK) leader David Duke – emboldened by Trump’s rise – just announced his candidacy for Louisiana Senate. But it was Trump’s utter lack of knowledge on matters of international affairs that Clinton most successfully stressed during her remarks.

‘No, Donald. You don’t’

One of Clinton’s strongest moments of the night came when she calmly ridiculed Trump for claiming he knows “more about ISIS than the generals do.” After a pause – letting the absurdity of his claim linger in the arena – she looked directly into the camera and told him, “No, Donald. You don’t.” This point encompasses a broader message Trump’s supporters must understand: Trump has no plans for the nation’s future; he is, as Vice President Joe Bien said, “a man who confuses bluster with strength." And he is also a man who confuses tweeting with policy proposals. Further, despite the fact that he lacks any relevant experience to the presidency whatsoever, the astounding level of arrogance he has demonstrated indicates he will likely prove totally incapable of being counselled by experts.

I believe there is no doubt that Clinton will act to defend our NATO allies – a vow she reiterated during her acceptance speech - while Trump has already publicly confirmed he would consider abandoning certain member states.

Clinton will continue the campaign against ISIS and likely finally address the Assad regime’s war crimes and barbarity. Trump refuses to actually discuss his own plans for defeating ISIS, likely meaning he has none, and would likely further support both Iran and Russia in Syria. Clinton will utilize every resource available and reach out to every expert possible to address issues domestically and abroad, knowing fully that “stronger together” is not just a campaign motto. Trump, meanwhile, has said he “alone” will fix everything. No, Donald. You won’t.

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Brooklyn Middleton is an American Political and Security Risk Analyst currently based in New York City. She has previously written about U.S. President Obama's policy in Syria as well as Bashar al-Assad's continued crimes against his own people. She recently finished her MA thesis on Ayatollah Khomeini’s influence on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, completing her Master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies. You can follow her on Twitter here: @BklynMiddleton.