Hillary Clinton in San Diego: 'Trump Would Take Country Down Truly Dangerous Path'

• (Photos by Alexander Nguyen/Patch)

SAN DIEGO, CA: Members of a crowd of about 300 — including fellow Democrats Rep. Scott Peters and San Diego City Councilman Todd Gloria — shouted "Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!" as they waited for the former first lady and Democratic presidential hopeful to take the stage Thursday at Balboa Park.

Hillary Clinton's campaign announced just Wednesday that she would make her first campaign stop Thursday in San Diego, less than a week before Tuesday's California primary.

Earlier, as supporters ranging in age and ethnicity entered The Prado Ballroom where the event was held, some shared their opinions on the former secretary of state and New York senator in her bid to become the first female president of the United States.

Eight-year-old Katherine "Katie" Moreno, of Coronado, who attended the rally with her mother, told Patch she likes Bernie Sanders but she likes Clinton better because "she likes immigrants and she likes equal pay. I really just like her a lot and she will be our first female president." 

"I just like that she's not like a lot of the people running that want to make a wall from Mexico," Katie said. "She just likes everybody." 

Not just Democrats were in the crowd.

Janet Rosenberg, 61, of El Cajon, told Patch that although she is a registered Republican, she will be voting for Clinton based on her support of universal health care, equal pay, women's rights and the rights of all Americans.

"She's the only candidate, I think, who really cares about the true issues and not ‎about the rhetoric," Rosenberg said. "She is for protecting the separation of church and state and the Bill of Rights, which to me is the most important right that we have as Americans. And I find it really disturbing that my Republican Party wants to do away with that."

Tajuddin Millatmal of Spring Valley, who also brought his daughter to the rally, said he came to hear her talk about international issues, particularly "her views about immigrants and Muslims in America" and about how the U.S. "should work globally for peace."

"What countries like America can do instead of fighting wars," Millatmal said. "If we can find a better way to solve these conflicts instead of, you know, 'we kill them, they kill us.' That's not a solution. It didn't work."

He also thought seeing Hillary would be inspiring for his 7-year-old daughter, Hatsabda Millatmal, who wants to be president someday and brought flowers for the former first lady.

As Clinton's speech got under way, she stayed true to what her campaign announced Wednesday would be the subject of her visit: Donald Trump as president would be a threat to national security, in her view.

"He says he has foreign policy experience because he ran the Miss Universe Pageant in Russia and to top it off he believes our country is weak," Clinton said.  "He praises dictators like Vlamidir Putin and picks fights with the German chancellor, the mayor of London, the president of Mexico and the pope."

Clinton said his comments on leaving NATO and the situation between Japan and North Korea show his incompetence as a leader. 

"It is no small thing when he says that America should withdraw its military support for Japan ... and he said this about a war between Japan and North Korea: 'If they do, they do. Good luck, enjoy.' I wonder if he even realizes he is talking about a nuclear war," Clinton said. "Those are the words of someone who doesn’t understand America or the world and they are the words of someone who would lead us in the wrong direction ... He will take our country down a truly dangerous path."

Instead, Clinton, said, the U.S. should work on strengthening its relationships with allies and finding common ground with other countries where relations are not so good.

"We need to stick with our allies," Clinton said. "it is part of what makes us and our allies deliver every day. Our armed forces fight terrorists together, provide staging areas, diplomats, we share intelligence...If Donald gets his way they will be celebrating in the Kremlin; we cannot let that happen."

She laid out other points as to why she believes Trump would be an inadequate leader for America. 

"I believe the person the Republicans have nominated for president cannot do the job," Clinton said. "...He says he has ideas but they are dangerously incoherent ... they are not really ideas ... just a set of bizarre rants, personal feuds and outright lies."

"He believes he can treat America’s economy like one of his casinos in default...and cause an economic catastrophe — far worse than anything we experienced in 2008," Clinton said.

As to why she would be the best choice for president, Clinton said she is not new to this work.

"I am proud to run on my record," Clinton said. "I believe in strong alliances, clarity in dealing with our rivals and a rock-solid commitment to the values that have always made America great. I believe with all my heart that we are, in Lincoln's words, the 'Last, best hope on earth.' We are not cowards ... If America doesn't lead we leave a vacuum." 

She also said she has clear strategies on how to defeat ISIS.

"I am going to keep America's security at the heart of my  campaign," she said.

Following the speech, attendees shared their thoughts. 

“Well, it was contrasting her policy with his and making it clear just the differences between them and making it clear to the voters. It was helpful to understand, so I think that was important," said Tammy Hennick, of Clairemont, who brought her 10-year-old daughter, Emma.

Hennick said her takeaway was "really just how experienced Secretary Clinton is and she can really articulately explain and layout her plan for the future of America. She’s immensely qualified. She’s calm and well-spoken."

Kyle Bright, a MiraCosta College student and president of the school’s Democratic Club, was equally impressed.

“I was in awe," Bright said. "I’m 19 and this is my first election and just basically in awe. It was breathtaking. She really does fill the room with her presence."

Bright said her speech was lighthearted and refreshing.

"She’s more positive," Bright said. "Trump is all negative — ‘We’re doomed. Make America Great Again.' Hillary is already, 'We are great, we have this and I’m gonna take America to the future.'"

A 44-year-old Oceanside woman who didn't want her name published said this:

"I think it was great. It’s about time somebody called Donald Trump out on his lies and his insults and his degradation of women. And I’m glad Secretary Clinton was the one to do it.

"If you look at the resumes of Senator Sanders, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, without even looking at the names, she’s is, by far, the most qualified. Like everybody says, running a show or Miss America — or whatever he was doing — that’s way different than running a country. You can’t bankrupt a country. And you can’t alienate all your allies like he wants us to. And you can’t give people nuclear power that probably shouldn’t have it because they could destroy our allies. 

"The man is insane and the way he insults women, people who don’t agree with him and Hispanics — I’m sorry, I’m a daughter of immigrants. We’re not rapists or murderers. We came to this country for a better life and for the American dream and I’m living it. I’m living the dream.

“You can’t bankrupt America, you’ll bankrupt the world, Donald Trump."

Unlike Trump's visit to San Diego Friday, there was not a large police contingent at the Clinton event Thursday.

Trump took to Twitter during her speech, tweeting: "Crooked Hillary no longer has credibility — too much failure in office. People will not allow another four years of incompetence!" 

A later tweet criticized what he described as a poor performance reading from a TelePrompTer.

Before the speech was delivered, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus issued a statement criticizing Clinton.

"There isn't a more flawed messenger on national security issues than Hillary Clinton, who as Obama's secretary of state helped turn Libya into a jihadist playground, spearheaded the dangerous nuclear deal with Iran and secretly called for bringing terrorists from Guantanamo onto U.S. soil," he said

Clinton's speech came one day after she called Trump a "fraud" in Newark, New Jersey, for taking advantage of Americans through Trump University. Trump countered with a speech in Sacramento saying Clinton has "no natural talent" and was "one of the worst secretaries of state in history."

Trump was scheduled to speak Thursday night in San Jose. Clinton's opponent in the race for the Democratic nomination, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, is scheduled to speak at rallies in Modesto and Chico.

Following the San Diego event, Clinton was scheduled to attend a "Get Out the Vote" rally in El Centro and visit community leaders in Perris in Riverside County.

—Patch Editor Alexander Nguyen and City News Service contributed to this report.