There are badly worded expressions (macaca, strategery, e.g.) and there are nuclear mushroom cloud worded expressions.
I would categorize this as one of the latter.
He gave Claire the one soundbite she can use over and over again. She could not have asked for anything better.
Join the bed wetters if you must, but a clear in your face attitude will end this in less than a news cycle. It’s time that our candidates own up to misstatements and then double down with a nasty retort. He can make Clair a baby killer and brand her with Obama’s late term abortions. The only people who will stay offended are those already in Clair’s camp. Treading lightly is what has cost conservatism in every election.