Escalation of Verbal Clash Between Clinton and Trump: 'Paranoia' vs 'Criminal Organization'

Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in the U.S. presidential election, has launched a strong attack on the Clinton family's foundation and its financial activities. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, has described Trump as a person with a 'long history of racism' and trapped in 'conspiracy theories.' September 4 was one of the loudest days of the Clinton and Trump campaigns; both sides fiercely criticized each other and questioned each other's activities and beliefs. Trump has referred to the 'Clinton Foundation' as an organization involved in 'criminal activities.' The Clinton Foundation, established by former President Bill Clinton and the wife of the current Democratic nominee, is said to have been formed 'to empower citizens to face the challenges of globalization.' A group of Republicans and Clinton critics argue that 'donations from foreign officials, companies, and individuals to this foundation are problematic, and they are expecting a return on these donations once Clinton enters the White House.' Trump stated on Thursday, referring to the period when Hillary Clinton led the U.S. State Department, that 'it is impossible to distinguish the activities of the Clinton Foundation from those of the State Department.' He then accused this foundation of engaging in various 'criminal activities.' In response to these accusations, the Democratic nominee issued a statement saying Trump's remarks are 'ridiculous': 'My activities as Secretary of State (during Barack Obama's first term) were in no way influenced by foreign powers. My political decisions were based on what I believed was right.' Hillary Clinton has strongly criticized Trump, pointing to his business activities and the complaints made against him by African Americans and Latinos: 'A man with a long history of racial discrimination, involved in conspiracy theories that originate from the pages of tabloids and the dark corners of the internet, should never take control of our government and command our military.' Recently, Trump has tried to distance himself from some of the racial discrimination accusations that have repeatedly been leveled against him, stemming from his campaign slogans such as banning Muslims, deporting immigrants, or building a wall on the Mexican border. Trump has distanced himself from some of those slogans, stating that he intends to deport 'bad' immigrants, not 'good' ones. Nonetheless, he has continued to emphasize that he will build a wall on the Mexican border and force the Mexican government to pay for it. The Republican nominee continues to use the issues of Clinton's emails, the use of a private server, and the Clinton Foundation as the main points of his recent criticisms against the Democratic nominee. In response, Clinton claims that Trump's campaign is based on 'bigotry and paranoia.' In the latest changes to his campaign, Trump has appointed Steve Bannon to manage his advertising and electoral affairs. Bannon has been described by AFP as 'a staunch conservative,' and Reuters states that his selection signifies a departure from conventional political rhetoric and a return of 'Donald Trump to being Donald Trump in the Republican primary competition.' The U.S. presidential election will take place on November 8, and the 45th President of the United States will begin his term in January. In this upcoming election, in addition to the two main parties, there are other figures known as the 'third stream' who could impact the vote share of either candidate. This is the first time in the United States that a woman - Hillary Clinton - is a nominee of one of the two main parties in the presidential election. At the same time, the presence of a candidate without political experience - Donald Trump - as a nominee of another main party is also unprecedented in the contemporary history of the country.