WASHINGTON: “Vulgar and sexist” were the two most common words that many across the United States used on Tuesday to describe Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

The comments – on both social and the mainstream media – followed Mr Trump’s latest vulgar remarks against a woman – this time the Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

During a Monday night campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mr Trump used a sexually offensive term while referring to Mrs Clinton’s defeat in the 2008 Democratic primary.

“She was gonna beat Obama … she was favoured to win and she got [expletive], she lost, I mean she lost,” he said.

The comments, shown live by mainstream television channels, shocked many.

“Trying to think of things Donald Trump to do to degrade women that would surprise me at this point, and failing,” tweeted Jess McIntosh, one of thousands of women who went to the social media to condemn the Republican politician.

“Are most 12-year-old boys more mature than Trump? Donald Trump reminds us how much he hates women during debate,” tweeted another.

Tal Kopan, a CNN journalist, regretted that because of Mr Trump she had to write a story “in which I had to define a vulgar Yiddish term”.

Mrs Clinton’s top communications aide, however, said her campaign would not respond to his remarks but asked others to share their feelings.

“We are not responding to Trump but everyone who understands the humiliation this degrading language inflicts on all women should”, tweeted Mrs Clinton’s communications director Jennifer Palmieri.

At the Grand Rapids rally, Mr Trump also said that Mrs Clinton’s delay in returning to the stage after a bathroom room during Saturday’s Democratic debate was “disgusting.”

“I’m watching the debate, and she disappeared,” he said. “I know where she went. It’s disgusting. I don’t want to talk about it. No, it’s too disgusting. Don’t say it, it’s disgusting. We want to be very straight up, OK?”

“Half of the country would be embarrassed to call Donald Trump their president,” noted The Washington Post in tweet at Post-Politics.

“When will the media stop being surprised when Donald Trump says things like … (expletive)?” the Post asked.

A Huffington Post writer, Nina Bahadur, noted that Mr Trump has ‘consistently insulted, belittled, sexualised and stereotyped women. He has called them ‘fat pigs’, ‘dogs’, ‘slobs’, and ‘disgusting animals.”

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2015