Last Night's Presidential Debate: Trump's Bold, Pro-Life Stand Leaves Some Viewers in Tears

Jennifer Wishon, Abigail Robertson : Oct 20, 2016
CBN News

Many Pro-Lifers praised Trump's firm denouncement of partial-birth abortion saying it brought them in tears.

(Las Vegas, NV)—[CBN News] The final presidential debate is in the history books, and one moment is making mainstream media headlines: Donald Trump is getting hammered for saying he might not accept the results of the election. (Photo via Fox News)

Still, the debate hit on some big issues that shouldn't be ignored: the national debt, immigration, abortion, and the issue that's driving many Americans to the polls next month, the Supreme Court. 

Specifically, many voters are concerned about how the candidates would handle expected vacancies on the high court.

"The Supreme Court is what it's all about," Trump said.  "Our country is so—it's so imperative that we have the right justices." 

Abortion
Clinton agreed, noting, "It is important that we not reverse marriage equality, that we not reverse Roe v. Wade."

That constitutional right to abortion is one issue that could be re-addressed if the court's dynamic changes.

"I will defend Planned Parenthood," Clinton vowed. "I will defend Roe v. Wade and I will defend women's rights to make their own healthcare decisions."

Trump, on the other hand, vowed to appoint pro-life justices in some of the most direct language we've heard from him on abortion.

"If you go with what Hillary is saying in the 9th month, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby," the GOP nominee charged. "And Hillary can say that that's okay, but that's not okay with me."

Clinton shot back, "Well, that is not what happens in these cases. And using that kind of scare rhetoric is just terribly unfortunate."

"If we put another two or perhaps three justices on, that's really what's going to happen," Trump retorted. "And that will happen automatically in my opinion because I am putting pro-life justices on the court."

"I will say this," he added. "It will go back to the states and the states will then make a determination."

Still, some conservatives took to social media saying they wanted to hear Trump say that he wants to see Roe v. Wade overturned.

Immigration
Meanwhile, the Republican nominee doubled down on his tough immigration policy.

"We have some bad hombres and we're gonna get them out," Trump said.

But Clinton said Trump's immigration plan won't work.

"It means you would have to have a massive law enforcement presence where law enforcement officers would be going school to school, home to home, business to business rounding up people who are undocumented," she said.

WikiLeaks
October's WikiLeaks releases have damaged Clinton but she was prepared to take on the subject, once again pointing the finger at Russia. 

"What's really important about WikiLeaks is that the Russian government has engaged in espionage against Americans," she said. (Screengrab via CBN News)

"Will Donald Trump admit and condemn that the Russians are doing this?" she challenged her opponent. "And make it clear that he will not have the help of Putin in this election?" 

"I don't know Putin," Trump replied. "He said nice things about me. If we got along well, that would be good."

Trump again denied claims of making unwanted sexual advances and defended his claims that the election is rigged.

Trump's Headline Making Moment
Finally, moderator Chris Wallace asked whether he would accept the results of the election.

"I'll look at it at the time," Trump replied. "I'm not looking at anything now; I'll look at it at the time. What I've seen is so bad. First of all, the media is so dishonest and so corrupt and the pile on is so amazing."

Clinton slammed Trump's non-committal response, calling it "horrifying."

"That is not the way our democracy works," she charged. "He is denigrating, he's talking down our democracy and I for one am appalled."

"You know every time Donald thinks things are not going in his direction he claims whatever it is rigged against him," she said.

Clinton summed up what's driving voters on both sides to the polls, saying, "It all comes down to what type of country we are going to have."

High Stakes 
So far, Clinton has a razor thin lead over Trump in the battleground state of Nevada. The stakes are high for both candidates coming out of this debate because starting Saturday, Nevadans can head to the polls early.
 
Meanwhile, voting is already underway in other battleground states. That means candidates will be spinning their performances hard in the coming weeks.

*CBN neither supports nor opposes any candidate for public office.