Missouri: A defiant Donald Trump on Sunday said, if he won the White House, he would put Hillary Clinton in jail for operating a private e-mail server while being US secretary of state.
In a contentious town-hall debate, he further dismissed as "locker room talk" a controversy over a video in which he made obscene comments about groping women.
The Republican presidential candidate said he would appoint a special prosecutor to look into his Democratic rival`s e-mail use because she had endangered national security during her tenure as President Barack Obama`s chief diplomat from 2009-2013.
"If I win, I`m going to instruct the attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation because there`s never been so many lies, so much deception," Trump told his Democratic rival during their second presidential debate.
The 90-minute debate got off to a chilly start when the two candidates for the November 08 election greeted each other without the traditional handshake.
It quickly turned into an acrimonious discussion of a 2005 video that emerged on Friday in which Trump was heard using vulgar language and talking about groping women without consent.
He said he was embarrassed by the video but dismissed it as "locker room talk." He said former president Bill Clinton had done worse to women.
"If you look at Bill Clinton, far worse," Trump insisted. "Mine are words, his was action," he said, claiming that there has "never been anybody in the history of politics in this nation that`s been so abusive to women."
Hillary refused to take the bait, saying she took the advice that "when they go low, you go high."
He also accused Hillary Clinton of going on the attack against women who had alleged sexual misconduct by her husband.
Hillary said Trump`s comments showed he was unfit for the White House.
"He has said the video doesn’t represent who he is but I think it’s clear to anyone who heard it that it represents exactly who he is," Hillary said.
Trump attacked Hillary over the emails, saying: "You ought to be ashamed of yourself."
Hillary said, "You know it’s just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in this country.” Trump shot back: “Because you’d be in jail.”
A nearly year-long FBI investigation into the e-mails concluded earlier this year without charges being filed, although FBI director James Comey said she had been careless in her handling of sensitive material.
Hillary insisted there was “no evidence” that her server had been hacked and that any classified information had ended up in the wrong hands. “I take classified material very seriously,” she said.
Trump said: “You said it was fine to delete 33,000 e-mails. I don’t think so.”
Hillary shook her head. “Look it’s just not true.”
She accused Trump of dodging a discussion of policy issues to avoid talking about his campaign because of “the way yours is exploding and Republicans are leaving you."
Notably, a flood of Republicans have withdrawn their support for Trump over the video. The controversy has pitched Trump into the biggest crisis of his 16-month-old campaign and deepened fissures between him and establishment Republicans.
The debate`s town hall-style format, with undecided voters posing half the questions and the debate`s two moderators posing the others, allowed the candidates to move freely around the stage and address the questioners directly.
Hillary, 68, and Trump, 70, both stood up to answer questions, and Hillary frequently stood directly in front of the questioners in an effort to make a connection with voters. At times, Trump stood almost over her shoulder as she addressed the town hall meeting.
Trump met just hours before the debate on Sunday with three women who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct and a fourth woman who was a victim in a rape case that Hillary Clinton participated in as a defense attorney. All four sat in the first row of the audience at the debate.
(With Agency inputs)
