With the first round of presidential debate just a few hours away, Hillary Clinton's campaign wants Donald Trump to just stick with the facts, so that the Democratic nominee can dedicate her time to the welfare of the country.
"We don't want Donald Trump's lies and distortions to be a distraction," Clinton's campaign manager Robby Mook told NBC's "Today" program. "We are hoping that those can get checked so that Hillary can focus her time on what she wants to do.
"All that we are asking from Donald Trump is that he stick with the facts, that he give clear plans and that he have a command of the issues. What we don't want to have is some sort of double standard where Donald Trump can get the most improved award but Hillary Clinton is getting judged on the fine points of policy," he added.
Clinton, who has been preparing rigorously for the debate, has her focus right, said Mook. "Hillary recognizes she does need to earn the voters' trust. I think tonight is a great opportunity for her to do that. We want this to be about the issues, we want both candidates to explain their plans to the American people."
When asked whether Clinton is ready to "throw the first punch," Mook said, "Her focus in in debate as I said is to prove to the American people she can make a real difference in their life, to talk about the things she wants to do as president.
"What I'm concerned about is Donald Trump has so far not presented real plans. He hasn't taken clear positions and he has run a very negative campaign," he added.
Clinton and Trump face off Monday night for an uninterrupted 90 minutes at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York in the first of their three presidential debates.
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