Clinton won't respond to Trump controversy until Sunday's debate

                                         

Hillary Clinton will respond to her rival Donald Trump’s recorded boast that he can “do anything” to women for the first time during Sunday night’s debate, after her campaign made the strategic decision to lie low Saturday and let the bad news pile on Trump.

Clinton expects to have an opportunity early on during the town hall debate at Washington University in St. Louis to respond to the controversy, according to a campaign aide who asked not to be identified. The moderators — ABC’s Martha Raddatz and CNN’s Anderson Cooper — may bring the topic up, or the undecided voters asking candidates’ questions may, or Trump himself may address his remarks head on. Either way, Clinton will be ready to pounce with her prepared reaction in front of tens of millions of viewers.

Clinton has not done an interview or even released a statement since the Washington Post reported on audio from 2005 during which Trump bragged about how he could “do anything” to women, including grabbing them by the genitals. Dozens of GOP officials have condemned or withdrawn their support from Trump as of Saturday night, and his own running mate Gov. Mike Pence said he could not “defend” Trump’s comments.

Instead of responding, Clinton spent hours in debate preparations with a small circle of aides in Westchester. The campaign made the decision to have Clinton’s first reaction come during the town hall, which they expect to draw one of the largest audiences they’ll have between now and Election Day. Meanwhile, her official campaign Twitter account called the comments “horrific” and her staffers released a video inserting Trump’s remarks with other offensive comments about women he’s made in the past.

                 https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/784542470847631360/video/1

 It’s unclear how Trump will address the controversy Sunday. In the video apology he released Friday night, the GOP nominee lashed out against President Bill Clinton, saying he has “actually abused women” and that Hillary Clinton “has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims.” This suggests Trump could try to deflect attention from his own comments by bringing up Bill Clinton’s past infidelities and Juanita Broaddrick’s rape accusations against the former president. (Trump retweeted Broaddrick on Saturday.) Clinton has brushed off Trump’s comments about her husband in the past, but she’s never before had to react to them in real time as she stands next to Trump.

Compiled by Liz Goodwin