Clinton Campaign on Donald Trump's Demand for an Apology: "Hell No"

Impact

Hillary Clinton's campaign has a decidedly Trump-ian response to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's demand for an apology over a claim Clinton made in Saturday night's Democratic debate: "Hell no."

The dust-up centers on Clinton's declaration during the debate that Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric made him the Islamic State terrorist group's "best recruiter."

"They are going to people, showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists," Clinton said.

While terrorism experts have argued that Trump's proposal to ban foreign Muslims from entering the United States will prove a boon to the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, the fact-checkers at PolitiFact rated Clinton's claim false, noting there's no evidence ISIS is using footage of Trump to recruit militants.

"I will demand an apology from Hillary," Trump said Monday NBC's Today. "She should apologize. She lies about emails, she lies about Whitewater — she lies about everything. She will be a disaster about everything as president of the United States."

Trump, who's erroneously claimed there was video of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating the 9/11 terrorist attacks, reiterated his demand for an apology on Twitter today, saying of Clinton's claim, "There is no video."

Asked whether should an apology would be forthcoming, Clinton's press secretary Brian Fallon said in a statement, "Hell no. Hillary Clinton will not be apologizing to Donald Trump for correctly pointing out how his hateful rhetoric only helps ISIS recruit more terrorists."

Though Clinton's execution of that point in the debate draw fact-checkers' ire, Trump has found himself in even more hot water with them. On Monday, PolitiFact named Trump's "various statements" during the campaign its "lie of the year."