Trend Watch

Clinton Responds to Trump's Accusation That She Lacks 'Stamina'

Trump said the first female nominee from a major party "doesn't have the look" to be president

Stamina spiked dramatically in lookups on September 26th, following Donald Trump’s repeated claims that it was something that Hillary Clinton lacked.

She doesn't have the look. She doesn't have the stamina. I said she doesn't have the stamina, and I don't believe she does have the stamina. To be president of this country, you need tremendous stamina.
—Donald Trump, Presidential Debate Transcript, 26 September 2016

Stamina comes from the Latin plural of stamen  (“warp, thread of life spun by the fates”). The etymology of the word makes sense in light of the initial sense of the word when it entered the language in the middle of the 17th century: “the essential or fundamental parts, elements, or nature of something especially an organism."

There must be Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, Tendons, Muscles, Ligaments, Articulations; and for the support and firmitude of all these, there must be some more solid stamina, or a kind of Bones and Cartilagineous contextures….
-Walter Charleton, Physiologia Epicuro-Gassendo-Charltoniana, 1654

The sense of stamina meaning “staying power; perseverence” came about in the early 18th century.

Clinton replied, "Well, as soon as he travels to 112 countries and negotiates a peace deal, a cease-fire, a release of dissidents, an opening of new opportunities and nations around the world, or even spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional committee, he can talk to me about stamina."

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