While investigators try to piece together what led the Orlando gunman
to carry out an unspeakable act of terror, the attack is upending the
2016 campaign debate as the two presumptive rivals go toe-to-toe on
terror with two very different messages.
In back-to-back speeches Monday, Donald Trump doubled
down on his call for a Muslim immigration ban while decrying what he
described as a "deadly ignorance" that is hurting the country -- and
Hillary Clinton renewed her call for an assault-weapons ban while vowing
to stop "lone wolf" terrorists.
Trump, speaking in New Hampshire, focused largely on
his plans for an immigration crackdown. Trump said he wants to "suspend
immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of
terrorism" against the U.S. or its allies.
“We have no choice,” Trump said of the proposed
ban. It wasn't immediately clear whether Trump was revising his
long-standing proposal to temporarily bar foreign Muslims entering the
U.S., which he also defended, or referring to the same plan.
The New York businessman also called the Orlando
shooting “an assault on the ability of free people to live their lives,
love who they want and express their identity.”
“It we don’t get tough, and we don’t get smart – and
fast – we’re not going to have a country anymore – there will be nothing
left,” Trump said.
Trump, speaking at St. Anselm College, was quick to slam his
Democratic rival, claiming she “is in total denial” and that her
ultimate plan is to “disarm law-abiding Americans” while admitting
immigrants who could pose a threat.
A few hours earlier at her speech in Ohio, Clinton
called for an "intelligence surge" and a ban on assault weapons as part
of a multi-pronged strategy to confront homegrown terrorism.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee,
following the Orlando terror attack, called on Americans to fight
terrorism at home with “clear eyes” and “steady hands.” She delivered a
carefully calibrated message, calling for America to get tougher on
terrorists while also renewing gun control proposals that have failed to
gain steam in Congress.
At the Cleveland campaign event, she drew cheers from the crowd after calling for a ban on assault weapons.
“Weapons of war have no place on our streets,” Clinton said.
Clinton also said if she were in the White House, a
top priority would be “identifying and stopping lone wolves,” like the
Orlando shooter.
She also called for increased efforts to remove Islamic State
messages from the Internet and said “peace-loving Muslims are in the
best position to help fight radicalization.”
Trump’s speech was originally supposed to focus on
his case against the Clintons – but Trump changed his focus following
the attack in Orlando that left 49 people dead and dozens injured. The
gunman died in a shootout with police.
On Monday, President Obama said investigators believe
the gunman was not directed by external extremist groups, instead
saying the shooter “was inspired by various extremist information that
was disseminated over the Internet.”
He added that there is “no direct evidence” the shooter “was part of a larger plot.”
Clinton warned earlier Monday against demonizing an
entire religion, saying doing so would play into the hands of the
Islamic State group.
"We can call it radical jihadism, we can call it
radical Islamism," Clinton said on CNN's "New Day." "But we also want to
reach out to the vast majority of American-Muslims and Muslims around
this country, this world, to help us defeat this threat, which is so
evil and has got to be denounced by everyone, regardless of religion."
The horrific shooting consumed the White House race
just as Trump and Clinton were fully plunging into the general election.
It served as a reminder to the candidates and voters alike that the
next president will lead a nation facing unresolved questions about how
to handle threats that can feel both foreign and all too familiar.
Trump said Monday he was revoking the press
credentials of the Washington Post after the newspaper published an
article with a headline "Donald Trump suggests President Obama was
involved with Orlando shooting."
"Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and
reporting of the record setting Trump campaign, we are hereby revoking
the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post," Trump
posted on his
Facebook page.
Authorities identified the killer in Orlando as Omar
Mateen, a 29-year-old American-born Muslim. FBI officials said they had
investigated him in 2013 and 2014 on suspicion of terrorist sympathies
but could not make a case against him.
Mateen opened fire at the Pulse Orlando club with an
AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. He called 911 during the attack to profess
his allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist organization though it was
unclear whether he had any direct contact with ISIS or was just
inspired by them.