US: Donald Trump defends Hillary Clinton remark, saying it was not 'vulgar'

The US political feud everyone expected continues to get bigger. On 22 December, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump defended his use of the Yiddish word "schlonged" in reference to Hillary Clinton as "not vulgar".

The bombastic real estate mogul turned conservative politician took to Twitter to set the matter straight. "Once again, #MSM is dishonest. 'Schlonged' is not vulgar. When I said Hillary got 'schlonged' that meant beaten badly," he tweeted using the hashtag #MSM to describe mainstream media. Trump found himself in hot water after using the Yiddish word for male genitalia when mentioning Clinton during a campaign stop in Michigan on 21 December.

"Even her race to Obama [in 2008], she was gonna beat Obama," Trump told supporters. "I don't know who would be worse, I don't know. How does it get worse? But she was gonna beat—she was favoured to win—and she got schlonged. She lost." The Grand Old Party (GOP) candidate also took a shot at Clinton for taking a bathroom break during the 19 December Democratic debate, calling it "disgusting".

According to NBC News, Clinton's campaign shot back at Trump, saying his words were "degrading language". Communications director Jen Palmieri tweeted, "We are not responding to Trump but everyone who understands the humiliation this degrading language inflicts on all women should. #imwithher".

During a campaign stop in Iowa, Clinton made a thinly veiled reference to Trump, saying, "We shouldn't let anybody bully his way to the presidency." The phrase was reminiscent of a comment by Republican presidential candidate, Jeb Bush, who told Trump that he could not insult his way into the White House.

Trump, however, maintains that the media has twisted his words. "For those on TV defending my use of the word 'schlonged,' bc #MSM is giving it false meaning- tell them it means beaten badly. Dishonest #MSM," he tweeted. He also referenced NPR journalist Neal Conan, who used the term in 2011 to discuss Walter Mondale's failed 1984 presidential bid.