Donald Trump says criticism of Bill Clinton is fair

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is reviving memories of Bill Clinton's affair with a White House intern and his turbulent interactions with black voters during South Carolina's 2008 primary as the ex-president campaigns for his wife in New Hampshire.

In taking on Bill Clinton, Trump is drawing upon two longstanding Republican critiques against the former president that have received scant attention thus far: the ex-president's affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky during the 1990s and his dust-up with black voters during the 2008 South Carolina primary.

In a phone interview with NBC's "Today Show," Trump said Tuesday that his comments about Bill Clinton were "fair game" after Hillary Clinton accused him of having a "penchant for sexism."

Democrats predicted Trump's comments would backfire in a general election against Clinton, who has appealed to women and minority voters at the heart of the coalition that twice elected Obama.

In past campaigns, the former president has helped Democrats appeal to white, working-class men, the types of voters who left the party during the Obama era and helped fuel Trump's rise this year.

Republican strategist Katie Packer, who works at a firm that specializes in messaging to women, said that while Trump's comments would likely energize Republican primary voters still angry about Bill Clinton's behavior, she worries they will harm Republicans' long-term prospects by drawing women to Hillary Clinton's campaign.