Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, said over the weekend that she wouldn’t let President Trump do a “handsy thing” with her if she meets him on a debate stage, referencing Hillary Clinton’s allegation that Trump was trying to intimidate her during the second debate in October 2016.
“I’m gonna start with—I know how to fight and I know how to win,” Warren told a crowd in Seattle, Washington. “And—you don’t back down from a bully. You just, you have to be willing to lay into this, right? And nobody’s gettin’ behind me on a debate stage and doing a handsy thing. That’s not happening.”
Warren is referring to a 2016 town hall debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during which they stood on a stage without podiums.
At times, Trump appeared to wander around the stage behind Clinton while was speaking. She later claimed in her book “What Happened” that she thought he was trying to physically intimidate her.
“This is not OK, I thought. It was the second presidential debate and Donald Trump was looming behind me,” she wrote. “Two days before, the world heard him brag about groping women. Now we were on a small stage and no matter where I walked, he followed me closely, staring at me, making faces. It was incredibly uncomfortable.”
The Democratic candidate also wrote that she thought about looking at Trump and telling him, “back up, you creep. Get away from me. I know you love to intimidate women but you can’t intimidate me, so back up.”
Warren has been a strong figure in the Democratic primary. Though some initially worried that the controversy over her claims of Native American heritage would ruin her campaign, she has remained solid in the polls, competing with Senator Bernie Sanders for the progressive lane of the party. (RELATED: ‘This Isn’t Funny’: Warren Scolds Crowd For Laughing At Her)
The Massachusetts politician has a number of highly detailed plans for health care, immigration, and the economy. Some of her ideas veer far outside of mainstream American politicking however, such as her proposal to give gay and lesbian couples reparations.