Clinton, Trump spar over terrorism in wake of latest attacks
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are accusing each other of heightening the risk of domestic terror attacks in the aftermath of bombings in New York and New Jersey. Trump called Clinton's refugee policies "weak," while she said he's become an online "recruiting sergeant," given his rhetoric, who has no plan to defeat the Islamic State.
In response to Saturday blasts in New Jersey and New York and a knife attack in Minnesota, Clinton called Monday for a surge in intelligence and greater coordination with local law enforcement and Silicon Valley technology companies; more outreach to Muslim-American communities to apprehend troubled individuals; and intensified diplomatic efforts across the Middle East.
“It’s important for voters to hear this and weigh it,” Clinton told reporters after Trump accused her and President Obama of being “weak” on terror.
“We know that a lot of the rhetoric we’ve heard from Donald Trump has been seized on by terrorists, in particular ISIS, because they are looking to make this into a war against Islam rather than a war against jihadists, violent terrorists,” said Clinton, speaking at an airport hangar in White Plains, N.Y.
“They want to use that to recruit more fighters to their cause by turning it into a religious conflict. That’s why I’ve been very clear: We’re going after the bad guys, and we’re going to get them, but we’re not going to go after an entire religion and give ISIS exactly what it is wanting,” said Clinton.
The Islamic State and Al Shabaab, the East African affiliate of the al-Qaida terrorist group, have used clips of Trump calling for his Muslim ban in videos, according to PolitiFact.
Meanwhile, in a later campaign stop in Florida, Trump said Clinton lacks the "moral clarity" to serve as president.
"She very much caused the problem," he said, citing "her weakness, her ineffectiveness." He blamed the weekend attacks on an "extremely open immigration system which fails to properly vet and screen" individuals coming to the United States. Terrorists "want her so badly to be your president, you have no idea," he said, citing the current administration's policies in Iraq, Syria and the Middle East.
"Her attacks on me are all meant to deflect her record of unleashing this monster of evil," he added.
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The Saturday explosions are thrusting national security concerns back to the fore of the 2016 presidential race a week before the candidates face off in their first debate.
On Monday, the GOP presidential nominee also called for profiling individuals in a manner similar to Israel's approach. His proposal for a temporary ban on non-U.S. Muslims has gotten less attention recently amid the lull between attacks in the U.S.
In his speech, Trump reiterated his call for a temporary immigration suspension from regions that pose a terrorist threat, without saying whether he would apply a religious test.
Obama praises 'outstanding police work' that led to bombing suspect's arrest
Trump is pointing to the Obama administration's policy of admitting refugees from war-torn areas of the Middle East, such as Syria, in addition to lax border security.
The suspect in Saturday's bombings, Ahmad Khan Rahami, is a New Jersey resident of Afghan descent and a naturalized U.S. citizen. Omar Mateen, the shooter at the Pulse night club in Orlando, which killed 49 people in June, is also a U.S. citizen.
Trump calls for profiling in wake of attack
Trump did not get into specifics on his plan to battle the terror threat during an earlier appearance on Fox News Monday, promising simply to “knock the hell out of them" and that "we have to lead for a change."
"It’s called leadership," he added.
Clinton is also highlighting her résumé in drawing contrasts with Trump. She said that while she is in favor of “tough vetting” of refugees, solving the problem requires a broader plan. “I’m the only candidate in this race who’s been part of the hard decisions to take terrorists off the battlefield,” she said Monday.
She said former CIA director Michael Hayden agreed with the notion that Trump is being used as a “recruiting sergeant” and called for intensified efforts to intercept online activity.
Islamic State recruiters “look for people who online demonstrate the mental profile, the level of paranoia, the level of delusion, the level of disappointment that then is exploited by quite able terrorist recruiters,” she said.
Clinton is also pressing her argument that Trump does not have the temperament to serve as president in the aftermath of the attacks. In the past, Clinton has accused Trump of stoking terrorism fears.
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In his Fox News interview, Trump was asked about his conclusion before investigators had announced their findings that a bomb had been detonated. “What I said was exactly correct. I should be a newscaster because I called it before the news, but what I said what exactly correct,” he said. He also said he expects attacks are “something that will happen perhaps, more and more all over the country.”
For her part, Clinton urged Americans not to become fearful in the face of another attack.
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"We choose resolve, not fear," she said. "We will not turn on each other or undermine our values.”
Contributing: Eliza Collins