In two-front war, Clinton targets Trump’s housing crash gain

LOS ANGELES — Hillary Clinton and her Democratic allies dove deeper into Donald Trump’s record Tuesday, launching a new round of attacks designed to paint the billionaire businessman as profiting off the housing crisis that hurt millions of Americans.

As she has for weeks, Clinton avoided all mention of primary challenger Bernie Sanders, even as both campaigned in California ahead of the state’s June 7 primary. Instead, she focused on Trump, trying to use the presumptive Republican nominee’s words against him.

“You know what happened in the great recession. Donald Trump said when he was talking about the possibility of a housing market crash before the great recession, he said, ‘I sort of hope that happens,’” Clinton told union workers in Los Angeles.

“He actually said he was hoping for the crash that caused hard-working families in California and across the country to lose their homes.”

Trump shot back in a statement, saying he’s “made a lot of money in down markets.”

“Frankly, this is the kind of thinking our country needs, understanding how to get a good result out of a very bad and sad situation.”

Clinton’s attacks were echoed by her campaign and Democrats across the country, who highlighted comments Trump made in 2006 saying he “sort of hopes” the housing bubble would burst because “people like me could make a lot of money.”

The new assault comes as Democrats try to hone their most powerful lines of attacks against Trump. More than half of Clinton’s address in Los Angeles was devoted to criticizing Trump’s foreign policy record, economic policies and personal finances, including his unwillingness to release his tax returns.

Clinton is attempting to turn her attention to Trump even as she continues to face a two-front war against both Trump and Sanders.