Hillary Clinton beats Melania Trump to the punch by launching $500m anti-bullying campaign

Bullying has been a defining feature of the presidential campaign - even Donald Trump’s wife said she would make the issue her main focus in the White House as First Lady

Ms Clinton has repeatedly criticised Mr Trump for bullying Muslims, women, immigrants and Mexicans (Getty)

Hillary Clinton has taken aim at Donald Trump with a new campaign called "Better Than Bullying", beating Melania Trump to the punch in her plans as First Lady.

Ms Clinton pledged to spend $500 million on state anti-bullying plans in schools, arguing bullying was an "urgent crisis" which contributed to poor academic performance, depression and suicide.

In a new advert, a man called Bryce tells his story about suffering muscular dystrophy and overcoming bullying, echoing Mr Trump’s mocking of a New York Times reporter with a physical disability.

The plan also aims to tackle cyber bullying, educating parents and schools and making the internet a safer space. The same subject was cited by Melania Trump to CNN as to what she would focus on as potential First Lady.

"I see now in 21st century, the social media, it's very damaging for the children," she said.

"We need to guide them and teach them about social media because I see a lot of negativity on it and we need to help them."

Asked if she would get her husband not to tweet as much, she replied that he makes his own decisions.

As noted by the Clinton campaign, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported in April that Trump’s campaign "is producing an alarming level of fear and anxiety among children of color and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom".

Ms Clinton has previously called out her Republican rival for calling Mexicans "rapists" and "drug dealers", his insulting comments about women like "pigs" and "bimbos" and accusing Muslims of terrorism and not living by "American values".

In Ms Clinton’s plan, money would be invested in mental health programs in high schools, training teachers how to recognise bullying, manage stress and anxiety and how to provide support for victims.

Mr Trump told Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly in May that his strong attacks were "mostly counter-punches" to what somebody else had done or said to him, and that he liked to hit back "times 10".

He also told reporter Michael D’Antonio in 2014, released as a two-part podcast by the New York Times, that he loved to fight when he was younger.

"All types of fights. Any kind of fight, I loved it, including physical," he said.