Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders Target Donald Trump In Ohio Town Meeting

Less than two days before the Ohio primary election, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders took the stage at the Ohio State University for a town hall meeting in a last-ditch effort to win over voters.

In an intimate theater-style format, the Democratic candidates took the stage individually; first Sanders, followed by Clinton.

The Candidates on Trump

Moderator Jake Tapper introduced Sanders first, wasting no time to inquire about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s accusations that violence at his recent rallies was incited by the Vermont senator's supporters.

Sanders immediately denied the accusations, calling Trump a “pathological liar.” He also brought up an incident where Trump said he would pay the medical bills of the person who sucker punched a Trump protester at a recent rally.

“Our campaign will never encourage anybody to disrupt anything,” Sanders said. “Donald Trump is literally inciting violence among his supporters. That is an outrage and I would hope that Mr. Trump tones it down big time and tells his supporters that violence is not acceptable in the American political process.”

Secretary Clinton, who followed Sanders’ appearance at the town hall, agreed with Sanders’ sentiments.

“Trump is running a cynical campaign and trafficking in fear,” said Clinton. “He incites violence in the way that he urges his audience on.”

Clinton called for Trump to take responsibility for what happens at his events.

“Donald Trump is responsible for what happens at his events,” she said. “He is the person who has been not just inciting violence, but applauding violence. You don’t make America great by tearing down everything that made America great.”

The Candidates on Foreign Trade and Its Impact on the American Economy

Both Sanders and Clinton received questions from struggling trade workers—an auto worker concerned about decreased wages in the industry and a laid-off steel worker from Lorain, Ohio—a city continuously plagued with economic turmoil due to a volatile steel industry.

Both candidates expressed the importance of refining global trade agreements to restore fairness to American workers and the American economy.

Sanders said his stance on foreign trade sets him apart from Secretary Clinton.

“I opposed every one of these disastrous trade agreements which have cost American jobs,” he said. "Many jobs pay only 50% or 60% of what they used to pay thanks to these trade agreements. The corporations tell us to take the pay cut or else we will ship your job off to China or Vietnam. I will continue to oppose these trade agreements that make us compete with foreign workers who are making 65 cents an hour.”

Clinton mirrored many of the Sanders’ sentiments and said she had proposed the idea to appoint a trade prosecutor who would report directly to the president.

“We can’t keep waiting until the damage is done,” she said. “We need to prevent it. In addition to enforcing laws and trying to really go after the major rule breaker in the global economy, namely China, I can pledge to you that I am committed to keeping a steel industry in—and steel workers working in—Ohio and in America.”

The Candidates on Racism within Law Enforcement

Both Clinton and Sanders held a strong stance against racism and acknowledged its universal presence within American law enforcement.

Attendee Terina Allen, whose unarmed brother was shot and killed by a police officer in Cincinnati, asked Sanders what he’d do to address race inequality issues in regards to police.

Sanders addressed the question head-on.

“We’ve seen unarmed people--primarily African Americans--shot and killed by police officers. That has got to end. Any officer who breaks the law must be held accountable. Period.”

He added that better training for police would be instrumental in the changes he’d implement.

“If elected president, my Department of Justice will investigate every killing of an American while in police custody or while being apprehended,” he told the crowd. “The use of lethal force should be the last response, not the first response. We need to demilitarize local police departments so they don’t look like occupying armies.”

He said that this would be one of his top priorities if elected president.

Secretary Clinton shared similar thoughts.

“An African American man is more likely to be incarcerated than a white man for the same crime,” she admitted. “We have systemic racism inside the justice system. We must go about the business of getting rid of the inequities.”

The Candidates on Prison Reform

A single mother and former heroin addict asked about Sanders’ opinions on the imprisonment of addiction-based offenses, but both Sanders and Clinton touched on the topic.

Clinton expressed her support of helping drug addicts and those with mental afflictions through treatment as opposed to sentencing them with prison time. She also called for an end to private prisons.

“We have to send these people into diversion programs and job programs,” she said. “We need to end private prisons and get addicts and those with mental health disorders help, not imprison them.”

Sanders said that addicts have no place in prisons and called for a “revolution” in the treatment of mental health disorders within the country.

“We have a massive crisis in heroin addiction and opiate addiction. We have got to fundamentally rethink the so-called war on drugs, which has been a failure. Addiction is a health issue, not a criminal issue,” he said.

Insurance and Obamacare

Both candidates spoke to concerned citizens about the future of medical insurance and the Affordable Care Act.

Sanders, who favors a federally funded healthcare system, assured a concerned small business owner that the amount he’d be paying in tax increases under a Sanders presidency would be much less than he is currently paying to insure his family and his employees.

“To be honest, you’ll pay a little more in taxes. But the savings will be much greater because you will not have to pay private health insurance premiums.”

A woman who said that her insurance costs skyrocketed from $480 per month to nearly $1100 per month after the implementation of Obamacare questioned Clinton about her intent for insurance in America, saying that while she is a democrat, she is leery of voting for one due to the stress this additional cost has placed on her family.

“It has become increasingly clear that we need to control costs,” said Clinton. “Reduce copays. Reduce deductibles. Reduce drug costs. We have to get more competition back into the insurance market. More nonprofits that are capable of selling insurance back into the insurance market.”

The Bottom Line: Who is More Likely to Defeat Trump?

An American Muslim was the only attendee permitted to ask his question to both candidates. He wanted to know who was more equipped to defeat Trump.

Sanders said he had more votes than any other candidate—Democrat or Republican.

“In virtually all polls, my margin over trump is larger than Secretary Clinton’s,” he said. “Republicans win when democratic voter turnout is low. I’ll get the best turnout.”

He also said he plans to expose Trump for what he says he truly is.

“He gives us many opportunities. Insulting Mexicans, Muslims, Women, Veterans… insulting everybody who isn’t like Donald Trump. Thank God most people aren’t like Donald Trump.”

Clinton said she is holding a lot of secret cards in her back pocket that are the keys to eliminating the possibility of a Trump presidency.

“I have 600,000 more votes than Donald Trump. I am building a broad-based, inclusive campaign,” she said. "I believe I’m developing the base that will give me the chance to defeat Trump.”

She also stated that her many years of national political experience has given her the thick skin necessary to take on the Republicans and beat Trump.

“The republicans have been after me for 25 years. There isn’t anything they haven’t already said about me. I’ve developed a pretty thick skin. I am not new to the national arena and I think whoever goes up against Trump better be ready, and I’m ready.”