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Clinton Pressed on Dream of 'Open Borders' Email During Debate, Pivots Discussion to Russian Hacking

October 19, 2016

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton had a heated exchange during Wednesday night's presidential debate over a hacked email released by WikiLeaks showing Clinton arguing for open borders in a speech to a Brazilian bank.

"In a speech you gave to a Brazilian bank for which you were paid $225,000, we've learned from WikiLeaks that you said this, and I want to quote, 'My dream is a hemispheric common market with open trade and open borders,'" moderator Chris Wallace said to Clinton.

The Democratic nominee briefly addressed Wallace's question before deflecting and blaming the ongoing WikiLeaks email releases on the Russia government. The Clinton campaign has so far refused to acknowledge the veracity of the hacked emails from Clinton campaign chair John Podesta's account.

"What is really important about WikiLeaks is that the Russian government has engaged in espionage against Americans," Clinton said. "They have hacked American websites, American accounts of private people, of institutions. Then they have given that information to WikiLeaks for the purpose of putting it on the internet."

She then asked Trump to admit that the Russians were involved in hacking the emails and to condemn them for doing so.

Trump responded that Clinton had dodged the original question about her statement on open borders.

"That was a great pivot off the fact that she wants open borders," Trump quipped.

He suggested that Clinton wants open borders and then denied that he had any relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said that if elected, he believes he could have a good relationship with Putin to allow Russia and the United States to fight the Islamic State together.

"Putin from everything I see has no respect for this person," Trump said referring to Clinton.

"That's because he would rather have a puppet as president of the United States," Clinton shot back.

"No, you're the puppet," Trump said, getting the final word.