Hillary addresses empty room during campaign stop in Ohio where she slams Trump for insulting women 'every chance he gets'
The Democratic candidate was in Columbus for a 'Women for Hillary' event
Only around 200 people showed up, leaving parts of the hall empty
During the visit she slammed Donald Trump's comments on Carly Fiorina
She said he is the candidate who 'delights in insulting women every chance he gets'
By Wills Robinson For Dailymail.com
Published: 21:08 EST, 10 September 2015 | Updated: 02:16 EST, 11 September 2015
Hillary Clinton made a campaign stop in the crucial swing state of Ohio on Thursday.
But it seems the hall she spoke in was mostly empty.
The Democratic presidential hopeful arrived in downtown Columbus to talk about women's issues, but only around 200 people showed up.
The modest-sized ballroom was half empty for her event, with supporters herded into a cordoned-off area to give the impression of a packed crowd.
While pictures taken at the 'Women for Hillary' event show her smiling and giving a thumbs up to those in the crowd, others, including The Washington Post's Karen Tumulty, captured large parts of the venue where only the floor was visible.
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A picture taken at Hillary Clinton's event in Columbus, Ohio, shows her talking to a virtually empty room
Despite the hall being largely empty, Hillary gave a thumbs up as she spoke to the crowd about women's issues and criticized Donald Trump's remarks about Carly Fiorina
Clinton was making the case that her policies would be better for women and the economy during the campaign stop. She is also raising money in the crucial general election battleground state.
In Columbus, Clinton took a swipe at Trump, who made a stir overnight by saying that that Carly Fiorina's 'face' would make her unelectable.
The former technology executive is the only woman in the GOP field. Trump said Thursday that he was actually talking about Fiorina's persona, not her appearance.
Clinton said: 'There is one particular candidate who just seems to delight in insulting women every chance he gets. I have to say, if he emerges I would love to debate him.'
She also cast herself as an experienced policymaker who could get things done, arguing that breaking through the 'dysfunctional mess in Washington' is more important than refusing to compromise - perhaps a swipe at Bernie Sanders' staunchly liberal platform.
'I've been accused of being a moderate,' Clinton said. 'I plead guilty.'
In Milwaukee later Thursday, she took special aim at Wisconsin's Republican governor, criticizing him for legislation that weakened unions and moves to defund Planned Parenthood.
Clinton said Walker has tried to cast himself as 'a tough guy on a motorcycle.' Instead, she said, he 'gets his marching orders from the Koch brothers,' referencing the wealthy industrialists who support various conservative causes.
This image was purportedly taken on one side of the hall when Hillary was speaking
A photo from a similar angle shows a sparse crowd at the 'Women for Hillary' event in Columbus
A photo from a similar angle shows a sparse crowd at the 'Women for Hillary' event in Columbus
Clinton remains the front-runner nationally, with tens of millions in her campaign account and hundreds of paid staff at her Brooklyn headquarters. However, while she still leads in early polls of the whole country, she's no longer out front in surveys taken in the first two states to vote: Iowa and New Hampshire.
In recent weeks, her message of middle-class prosperity has been overshadowed by interest in her use of a private email account and server while serving as secretary of state. In the meantime, Sanders' anti-establishment campaign has sought to project him as a viable option for Democrats.
In Washington on Thursday, campaign manager Robby Mook and other Clinton officials briefed more than 40 House Democrats and aides on Thursday about the state of the campaign. Questions about emails came up briefly, some of the lawmakers said, but House Democrats in attendance encouraged Clinton's aides to move past the controversy.
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., said the message was "let's get over this email bump" and focus on core issues like increasing incomes and college affordability.
As for the Sanders rise, Takano said that during the meeting there were "some references to Howard Dean," the former Vermont governor whose populist campaign excited the Democratic base before fading in the 2004 primaries against eventual nominee John Kerry.
"We know it's not going to be obstacle-free, but there's still a general confidence that she's going to be our nominee and very likely be our next president," Takano said.
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