Trump targets Clinton with off-color barbs

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump labeled Democrat Hillary Clinton "disgusting" for using the restroom during a commercial break at the last Democratic debate and used crude language to describe her primary loss to now-President Obama in 2008.

"She was favored to win and she got schlonged, she lost," he said Monday night, using a Yiddish word for male genitalia.

Trump, who has ramped up his criticism of Clinton in recent weeks, also mocked Clinton for returning late to Saturday's debate after a commercial break because she had been using the bathroom.

"What happened to her? I'm watching the debate, and she disappeared. Where did she go?!" Trump said at a rally at the DeltaPlex Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.

"I know where she went. It's disgusting, I don't want to talk about it," he added. "No, it's too disgusting. Don't say it, it's disgusting."

This isn't the first time Trump has used what could be interpreted as gender-based language to criticize Clinton. He has repeatedly described her as lacking the strength and stamina to be president and invoked the image of her putting on a pantsuit before heading to work.

But the latest remarks appear to have hit a new nerve. After declining to comment Monday evening, Clinton spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri took to Twitter to label the language "degrading."

"We are not responding to Trump, but everyone who understands the humiliation this degrading language inflicts on all women should," Palmieri said on Twitter, concluding with the hashtag "imwithher."

The latest rift between Clinton and Trump began during Saturday evening's debate. Clinton claimed the Islamic State group had used videos of Trump's comments about Muslims to recruit militants.

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

There was no evidence to back the claim, and Trump quickly called Clinton a liar and demanded an apology.

"She's a liar!" he repeated at the rally, labeling Clinton "not a president." Some of Trump's critics have leveled similar criticism at him.

Many Republican leaders fear Trump's incendiary rhetoric would make him unelectable in a general election against Clinton, who is widely favored over two rivals for the Democratic nomination.