Trump clashes with Anderson Cooper over claim that Hillary Clinton is a 'bigot'

Screenshot via CNN

Trump defends his claims that Hillary Clinton is a 'bigot' in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper

CNN host Anderson Cooper pressed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday about his assertion that Hillary Clinton is a "bigot."

Trump hurled the accusation while reading prepared remarks on a teleprompter at a Mississippi campaign rally on Wednesday. 

In an interview airing Thursday night, Cooper challenged the real-estate mogul to explain what makes his Democratic opponent a bigot.

"Bigotry is having hatred towards a particular group," Cooper said, "So you're saying she has hatred or dislike of black people?"

"Because she is selling them down the tubes," Trump replied, "because she's not doing anything for those communities. She talks a good game. But she doesn't do anything."

During the interview, Trump appeared to struggle to link Clinton to any specific instances of bigotry, instead alleging that her policies neglected African-Americans and Hispanics. 

Read a portion of the exchange below: 

Cooper: So you're saying she has hatred or dislike of black people?

Trump: Her policies are bigoted because she knows they're not going to work.

Cooper: But you're saying she's personally bigoted …

Trump: Oh she is. Of course she is. Her policies. They're her policies she comes out with the policies and others that believe like she does also but she came out with policies over the years. This is over the years. Long time. She's totally bigoted there's no question about that.

Cooper: But it does imply that she has antipathy that she has hatred toward, I guess in this case you're talking about African Americans, but I don't want to put words in your mouth.

Trump: I think she has been extremely extremely bad for African Americans. I think she has been extremely bad for Hispanics. You look at what's happened with her policies and the policies of president Obama and others. Look at the poverty. Look at the rise in poverty. Look at the rise in violence.

Cooper: But hatred is at the core of that or dislike of African Americans?

Trump: Or maybe she's lazy.

Trump and Clinton have been ratcheting up their attacks on each other as their first general-election debate approaches.

Attempting to blunt Trump's latest appeals to minority voters, Clinton on Thursday likened the New York billionaire's campaign rhetoric to a mainstream hate movement.

Trump called Clinton's assertions a "tired, disgusting argument."

Watch Cooper's interview with Trump below: