Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton gestures as she appears on stage with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during the presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
HEMPSTEAD, United States鈥擧illary Clinton accused Donald Trump of peddling 鈥渢rumped up trickle down鈥� economics Monday on the presidential debate stage, as the candidates clashed in fiery exchanges over how to create American jobs.
鈥淚 will bring back jobs. You can鈥檛 bring back jobs,鈥� Trump fired at Clinton, as the pair tangled over trade, taxes and government regulations in the opening half of their 90-minute debate.
READ: At each other from the start: Clinton, Trump debate
鈥淚 know you live in your own reality, but those are not the facts,鈥� Clinton said, after Trump took her to task over her support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
鈥淭he kind of plan that Donald has put forth would be trickle-down economics all over again. In fact, it would be the most extreme version, the biggest tax cuts for the top percent of the people in this country than we鈥檝e ever had. I call it trumped up trickle-down,鈥� Clinton added.
鈥淭hat is not how we grow the economy,鈥� said the former secretary of state.
READ: Clinton attacks Trump economic proposal
The sparring grew intense at times as the candidates interrupted and talked over one another.
鈥淭ypical politician. All talk, no action. Sounds good, doesn鈥檛 work. Never going to happen,鈥� Trump fumed, as he argued that his extensive business experience is what America needs to improve its economy.
鈥淥ur jobs are fleeing the country. They鈥檙e going to Mexico, they鈥檙e going to many other countries. You look at what China is doing to our country,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e devaluing their currency and there鈥檚 nobody in our government to fight them.鈥�
But when Trump highlighted his business acumen as a qualifying rationale for electing him president, Clinton jumped in, assailing the provocative billionaire for failing to pay some contractors for their work.
鈥淒o the thousands of people that you have stiffed over the course of your business not deserve some kind of apology from someone who has taken their labor, taken the goods that they produced, and then refused to pay them?鈥� Clinton asked.