JENKINTOWN, Pa. — Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said Friday that a general election match-up against Donald Trump could be “all about” insults and derogatory comments if they both become their party’s nominees.
After a long riff about the dangers of cyber-bullying, Clinton pivoted to Trump, saying she won’t respond to what the GOP frontrunner says about her directly, but vowing instead to go after him for what he’s said about women, immigrants and Muslims.
“You know what, it isn’t really about me,” Clinton said to a mostly female audience during a discussion about equal pay and gender parity.
“I’m going to respond on behalf of all the people that have been the target of his hatred, and his demagoguery.”
The prediction comes as Clinton looks to secure the Democratic nomination and turn her attention to the GOP front-runner. After winning the New York primary on Tuesday, she confidently said that the race was now in the “homestretch” and “victory is in sight.”
Before speculating on a Trump-Clinton contest, she spent several minutes detailing her experience with bullying and harassment. Clinton, admitting that it’s taken “years” to be able to speak openly about the topic, also offered her own advice to young people who have been the targets of sharp criticism.
“Don’t take it personally, because it can knock you to your knees if you take it personally,” she said.
Trump recently started calling the former secretary of state “Crooked Hillary,” which she dismissed summarily when asked about the label last week.
“He can say whatever he wants to say about me,” she said, pledging to stay focused on the “issues.”
Clinton has long said that she’s running on a “love and kindness” platform and on Friday, she promised her campaign would aim to stay positive.
“To launch personal attacks, to try to intimidate and degrade somebody else, is off limits,” Clinton said. “And we have to be strong about this.”
Women’s issues, including pay equity, are a key component of Clinton’s policy plans.
During the roundtable, she praised the Treasury Department’s decision to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, but said “it’s not just enough to be on the money, you need to be making the money.”
Sitting beside long-time equal pay advocate Lily Ledbetter, Clinton called the announcement “exciting” but said “I also want to make sure that women are making the money that we deserve to make.”
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com
Monica Alba