Mother hits back after Trump calls 10-year-old’s question to Clinton ’staged’

by Lisa Hagen - 12/23/15 7:09 PM ET

The mother of the girl who asked Hillary Clinton a question about bullying blasted GOP White House hopeful Donald Trump on Wednesday, rejecting his claim that the exchange was “staged.”

While speaking at a school in Keota, Iowa, on Tuesday, the Democratic presidential front-runner fielded a question about bullying from fifth-grader Hannah Tandy, while taking an indirect swipe at Trump.

{mosads}“I think we’re not treating each other with the respect and the care that we should show towards each other,” Clinton responded to Tandy’s question. “That’s why it’s important to stand up to bullies wherever they are, and why we shouldn’t let anybody bully his way into the presidency, because that’s not who we are as Americans.”

The real estate mogul tweeted Wednesday, “The Hillary Clinton staged event yesterday was pathetic. Be careful Hillary as you play the war on women or women being degraded card.”

But Hannah’s mother, Lexie Tandy, pushed back at Trump’s claim, saying her daughter wasn’t prompted to ask the question. She also said she wasn’t in attendance because she didn’t know Hannah planned to participate.

“I don’t want to get in a big match-up with Donald Trump, but let me tell you, I will be in one if he makes comments about my daughter,” Tandy said, according to The Des Moines Register. “She’s 10. She’s just a little girl.”

Following Trump’s Wednesday tweet, the three students who invited Clinton to visit the school also hit back at Trump, responding on Twitter, “Sorry @realDonaldTrump, you can’t stage passion & determination of young people. Also, @ us next time. #StopBullying.”

A feud between Trump and Clinton has escalated in recent days, after the billionaire businessman mocked Clinton for using the bathroom during last weekend’s Democratic debate, calling it “disgusting.”

He went further during a Monday rally, scrutinizing Clinton’s loss in the 2008 presidential race, saying she “got schlonged” by then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Clinton’s camp has denounced Trump for using “degrading language,” while saying the former secretary of State wouldn’t directly respond to Trump’s message.

Tags Donald Trump Hillary Clinton