. Republican frontrunner donald trump is defending his use of a word widely considered to be vul vulgar to attack his democratic rival Hillary Clinton. He said he used it to show that she was, badly beaten by barack obama. Now clinton is firing back. You are looking at somebody whos had a lot of things said about me. A not so subtle dig at donald trump today after a young girl asked Hillary Clinton about bullying. We shouldnt let anybody bully his way into the presidency. Just when you thought politics couldnt sink any lower, trump went there, talking about clintons 2008 defeat by barack obama. She got shlonged. She lost. Its a yiddish word that meant, well, you guessed it. And he didnt stop there. Where did she go . I know where she went. Its disgusting. I dont want to talk about it. Hes talking about this moment when clinton went missing for a few moments of the democratic debate. When she returned, she had only one word to say sorry. How do you respond to Donald Trumps comments . Reporter while clinton refused to answer questions about trumps comment, she used it as a rallying cry for women. Were not responding to trump, but that everyone understands the humiliation that word should. But for trump its just the latest volley in a campaign filled with vulgarities, none of which tarnished his popularity. First he went after megyn kelly. She started asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions. You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her, wherever. Reporter then republican rival carly fiorina. In a Rolling Stones article, he said look at that face. Would anyone vote for that . Can you imagine that the face of our next president . But clinton is his favorite target. Shes playing the womans card. Honestly, outside of the womans card, she has nothing going. Believe me. A sentiment his opponent jeb bush took further today. Shes great at being the victim. This little enhancer victimology status. This is what she lues doing. Bottom line, its good politics for republicans to say anything negative about Hillary Clinton. And jeb bush is clearly trying to get into the game here. But you can bet that word victim also fires up democrats. Jeb zeley, cnn, washington. Well, joining me now to discuss the u. S. President ial election is christina belatoni. She covers politics for the l. A. Times. Welcome to the show. So as you look at the things that have been coming from donald trump, the use of this vulgar term, even to talk about the bathroom break during the democratic debate recently. Is there a strategy at play here, or is this just shooting from the hip, whats going on here. Make sense of it here. I would like to try, but this entire thing sort of feels like a strange dream. If you had asked me six months ago would we be in this place where Donald Trump Holds a commanding lead nationally and may even hold a larger lead than that we had a story on the front page of the Los Angeles Times today saying its possible his lead is even bigger because when you get a phone call asking you who you support, maybe youre going to be embarrassed to say you support donald trump, but you might actually be supporting him. So this is a pretty surprising turp of events. But it speaks to the countrys anger right now and frustration with what is currently in place. And thats not a party thing. Its sort of the typical politician thing. In general, you can predict what a politician is going to say in most circumstances. Particularly if youve been covering it for a long time. I cant tell you what donald trump is going to do next and i think he understands that and he understands that he will get coverage when he does things that are off script or off tradition. The widespread criticism into the use of that term in relation to Hillary Clinton, to paraphrase, he says he was not, in fact, you know, being derogatory to her, that, in fact, its the Mainstream Media trying to blow this up. Its up on the screen to read itself. He understands this. This is a creature of television. One of the reasons everyone watching this show tonight knows who donald trump is. He understands how to use the medium of television. His twitter audience, for example, he has millions of followers he can speak to. He doesnt need press in the way a traditional candidate does. Women, what do women voter this of this . There are a lot of them that are not happy with this. And the democrats like that, because they feel like women are to their advantage. Generally unmar i ared women tend to vote democratic. You know, the older, married women with children tend to vote republican. It just depends. This is an area where the democrats see this and they like it. The democrats will attempt to paint any republican who is a nominee, why didnt you condemn trump . Did you agree with trump . He was the front runner of your party. And to that point, the Hillary Clinton campaign while making this directly, they made it about all women. Youre going to hear her say that more and more during 2008 during her first run of the presidency. She reminded people shes a grandmother. In fact, the Campaign Said shes like everybodys grandmother. And she got a little pushback on that today. But she likes to remind people that she is a woman, that she takes more time in the restroom than everybody else. These are things that will continue to play out over the course of the campaign between donald trump and any candidate because theres a certain language you use when you speak to women and theres a certain language that perhaps you shouldnt use when you speak about women. And i think donald trump has found that multiple times in this campaign. Does she find herself in a bind b in the sense that these comments are offensive yet for her to directly engage them would make them seem that she was somewhat thin skinned and it plays into the jeb bush thing. Oh, he said she should stop being a victim. Its that kind of bind that women find themselves in. Flashback to 2008. This was exactly the conversation we were having. The rhetoric was a little different, but new hampshire, she showed a bit of emotion when answering a question about what its like to campaign. People were calling her cry baby. There were other people who said i identify with her. Shes someone thats willing to show her emotion. And she would sometimes do that and then sometimes not. She played a very tough candidate. Maybe thnt isnt how you speak to women. I wouldnt want you to speak about my daughter this way, for example. But you could point to many instances where she did this and other times people said toughen up. But women are put in that position all the time. All the time. All the time. Staying on the political track, trufrm has focused his file on Hillary Clinton, his lead has shrunk in an interNational Survey. Cruz might be gaining support around the country, there isnt much love for him in washington. Dana bash reports. Wow ted cruz has a new prediction thats making Establishment Republicans shutter. I think it could easily end up being a twoman race between donald trump and me its no secret that many mainstream republicans recoil at the thought of trump at the top of the ticket. But some republicans also cant stand the idea of cruz as their nominee, mostly because they cant stand cruz in general. To me, hes just a guy with a big mouth and no results. Many of cruzs own republican Congressional Colleagues still havent forgiven him for leading an unwinnable fight to defund obamacare two years ago. Which led to a government shutdown. Joon boehner called him a ja jackass, but cruz didnt seem to care. You are a human being and you are sitting with people around you who have some respect. If. I dont work for the pert bosses in washington. God bless you cruz may be used to it. Multiple sources who worked with cruz for george w. Bushs 2000 campaign say he was profoundly disliked there, too. Bush himself said at a fundraiser this year he cant stand the guy. Even now, cruz jokes about needing a food tester while lunching with colleagues. Alienating people is such a big issue for cruz, its a regular topic in our interviews over the years. When youre president of the United States, you have to have at least some measure or level of likability in order to reach out and get things done. How will you overcome that . Ill point out theres an almost inverse relationship between being liked and appreciated in washington, d. C. And reviled back home. And being reviled in washington and appreciated back home. It is true that in his home state of texas at the 2013 government shutdown, cruz was greeted like a hero. Republican women at a convention there were thrilled he stood up to washington like he said he would. On the president ial trail now cruz does connect with republican voters. Do not say that name. I cant hear you and he tries to endeer himself with humor. When trump called him a maniac, the senator himself responded on twitter with this shes a maniac maniac on the floor dana bash, washington. For all the latest developments, just go to our website nn. Com politics. And this just into us here at cnn. Health officials in mexico say at least 30 people are injured after a gas pipeline exploded. Some of the images from the scene are difficult to watch. Health Officials Say several people are hospitalized with severe burns. But the gas Company Denies the pipeline itself exploded. It says the blast happened after a stolen fuel tank. 67 kilometers and 37 miles from the capital of tabasco state. The terrorists of isis have held the provencial capital since may. Its about 70 pliels west of baghd baghdad. Cnns Barbara Starr reports its a vital, strategic city for both ice cities and government forces. Reporter gunfire and battles now reaching across ramadi. Iraqi forces on the move to take back the city center from isis seven months after they ran away from the fight. Back in may when iraqi forces fled, top u. S. Officials thought it was a bump in the road. It is possible to have the kind of attack weve seen in ramadi, but im absolutely confident in the days ahead that will be reversed. But its taken months of americanbacked training and careful choking off of isis supply leans to get iraqi forces to the point where they finally made their move. A new iraqi assault began by unfolding a bridge like this one across a branch of the euphrates river. The u. S. Military provided the training for the operation. The iraqis then pushed into the center of the city. With help from u. S. Air strikes to begin confronting an estimated 350 isis fighters. Optimism from the u. S. Military spokesman from baghdad. The fall of ramadi is inevitable. The end is coming. Reporter the fighting is brutal. The u. S. Believes isis is using civilians as human shields. The iraqis tried to get many of them out, dropping these leaflets with instructions on leaving. But isis fighters are dug in. Isis has probably laid mines in buildings and laid explosive devices throughout the streets and inside the houses that are going to cause a lot more casualties. Just getting control of ramadi back will not be enough. Taking back and Holding Territory is a very difficult operati operation. Its one thing to clear that area initially, but the problem that you have is actually coming back and making sure nobody else goes into an area when you move into the next build organize the next objective. Reporter getting ramadi back and holding it, a vital win for the iraqi forces. But also a mustwin for the Obama Administration trying to prove its antiisis strategy is going to work. Barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. Time for a quick break. A woman who was honored for turning her life around is now facing felony charges in a deadly hit and run crash on the Las Vegas Strip. We will have the details for you ahead on newsroom l. A. Plus, a new film challenges the nfl over player brain injuries. A sneak peek when cnn newsroom live from los angeles continues. Now more than ever americas electricity comes from cleaner burning natural gas. And no one produces more of it than exxonmobil. Helping dramatically reduce u. S. Emissions. Because turning on the lights. Isnt as simple as just flipping a switch. Energy lives here. No matter what nasty cold symptoms you get, alka seltzer plus liquid gels rush liquid fast relief to your tough cold symptoms. And they outsell mucinex liquid gels 2 to 1. Alka seltzer plus liquid gels. You want i fix this mess . A mess . I dont think whats that . Snapshot from progressive. Plug it in, and you can save on Car Insurance based on your good driving. You sell to me . No, its free. You want to try . I try this if you try. Not this. Okay. Da prosecutors say laquisha holliday could face more charges as the investigation continues. She was honored a few years ago for turning her life around. Isha, the woman that plowed her car into pedestrians multiple times on sunday evening is now facing three felony charges. We have multiple people not breathing. Laquisha holloway is being charged with one count of mud, ne flekt or endangerment. And one of leaving the scene of an accident. Three people are still in Critical Condition with life threatening head injuries according to the police report, holloway would not explain why she drove on to the sidewalk, but remembered a body bouncing off of her windshield, breaking it. In 2012, she was honored for her achievements and even spoke about overcoming the odds. Today, im not the same scared girl i used to be. Im a mature young woman twho has broken many generational cycle that those before me hadnt. Being homeless and on my own taught me how to stand on my own two feet. Reporter but Police Believe holloway and her 3yearold daughter were living out of her car since arriving in las vegas about a week before the hit and run. A test for alcohol came back negative, but police say she may have been on a stimulant. At first we were like shes probably drunk. She was just slowly on the curb, but then when she accelerated, it seemed like there was a purpose to her actions. Reporter she will make her First Court Appearance on wednesday morning at 8 00 a. M. Local time. Isha . Thanks to stephanie elan for that report. Espn reports the National Football league has backed away from a major study of the relationship between football and brain trauma. Sources tell espn the nfl left the 30 million project after learning that robert stern of Boston University had been selected to lead the research. The source said the league was concerned about sterns objectivity. In response, an nfl spokesperson tweeted that the espn story is not accurate and the nfl did not pull any funding. Well, by now, most casual fans of american football are aware that head injuries are a serious cause for concern in the sport. But on christmas day, the big hollywood movie concussion starring will smith is set to spread that message. I found a disease that no one has ever seen. Repettive head trauma chokes the brain. The nfl does not want to talk to you. Youve turned on the lights and give their biggest boogie man a name. Youre going to war with a corporation that owns a dpa of the week. No proof was presented today. Because there simply isnt any. They have to listen to us. This is bigger than they are. In response to the movie, the envelope told cnn, quote, we welcome any conversation about Player Health and safety. Joining me now from berkeley, california. Steve is an espn investigative reporter. Hes also the coauthor of league of denial a bob about traumatic brain injuries in the nfl. Let me start by asking you about this movie, the movie concussion. How much of a nightmare is this for the nfl . Well, i think its certainly not good when you have will smith playing a neuropathologist, on cure neuropathologist who was taken on by the league and essentially marginalized and attacked for for discovering the first case of brain damage in an nfl player, a deceased nfl player. Now we know there are some 87 players who have been diagnosed. And and this is a true story, the part of the the story covered in our book. One of the things thats interesting that happened. The story we had today on espn, i think there are parallels with that. I think its something the league is going to have to contend with. But you say the movie doesnt get everything right about the story . Yeah. I think its very much a hollywood movie. One of the odd things about the movie is that it takes what is a very real story and embellishes it considerably and blames the nfl for a lot of things that it was not involved in. The spine of the story is accurate. He was marginalized and attacked by the envelope. But he was not threatened by deportation by the nfl. He wasnt followed by the nfl. His boss was not indicted or his indictment was not by the nfl. Its hard no know exactly what theyre talking about. Let me ask you this. By the time the zok tor discovered cte till now, how has the nfls level of corporation, how has that changed when it comes to Scientist Research in this issue . I think its a really interesting question. The league is pouring a lot of money into Concussion Research. Theyre one of the main funders of Concussion Research in this country now. But i think the story that we had this morning points out that there seems to be limits to where the nfl will go and where they put their money. Its a very difficult line that theyre walking. On the one hand they say theyre trying to make the game safer. At the same time, the nfl style football is a huge product in this country and the nfl is selling that product. So Scientific Evidence that shows the very product is dangerous to your health and sends that message to parents and kids and players is a difficult one to the nl envelope. Theyre trying to walk both sides of the line. As you talk about parents, will smith says taking on this role was as much about him feeling a sense of response nlt as a parent with a son. I want to play a little bit of what he had to say and