Did Hillary Clinton capitalize on Trump’s hot mic?

Benefiting from the missteps of others can be tricky. After Donald Trump’s widely criticized hot-mic error, Clinton had a unique opportunity. Did she make the most of it? Here’s PR insight.

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When someone’s entire reputation is on the line, drastic measures can be taken.

Prior to Sunday night’s presidential debate, Republican nominee Donald Trump appeared with three women who accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual impropriety.

It was an attempt to get under the skin of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and deflect some of the public conversation away from the video leak that had dominated the weekend news and set his campaign into crisis mode.

During the first debate, Trump suggested that he might bring Bill Clinton’s accusers into the campaign narrative. Hillary Clinton’s campaign knew to prepare a response to that.

In drafting her response, Clinton probably weighed two options:

• She could defend herself and confront her opponent about his own checkered history with women.

• She could dismiss his defense and allow the debate to progress into policy issues.

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