Trump hits back at Clinton over terror comments following N.Y., N.J., bombings

Holly Bailey 19 hours ago

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Donald Trump slapped back at Hillary Clinton’s suggestion earlier in the day Monday that terrorists have “seized” on his rhetoric as a recruiting tool for attacks on the United States. Trump called her a “weak and ineffective” politician who “talks tougher” about his supporters than she does the Islamic State terror group.

Speaking at a rally here just hours after police detained the lead suspect in weekend bombings in New Jersey and New York that authorities have described as terrorism, the Republican presidential nominee pointed the finger back to Clinton and President Obama. Trump repeated his charge that it was their handling of the terrorist threat overseas that is “largely responsible” for the rise of ISIS.

“She very much caused this problem. Her weakness, her ineffectiveness,” Trump said, citing Clinton tenure as Obama’s secretary of state and the ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Libya and Syria. “Her attacks on me all meant to deflect from her record of unleashing this monster of evil on us and all over the world.”

At a Monday morning press conference, Clinton criticized Trump’s hardline anti-immigrant rhetoric, which includes a call for a temporary ban on Muslims from entering the U.S. and “extreme vetting” of others from unidentified risky countries. She said Trump’s inflammatory words have been “seized on by terrorists, in particular, ISIS.”

“They are looking to make this into a war against Islam, rather than a war against jihadists, violent terrorists,” Clinton said. “The kinds of rhetoric and language Mr. Trump has used is giving aid and comfort to our adversaries.”

In response, Trump blasted Clinton’s remarks at his afternoon rally in Florida, accusing her and the Obama administration of turning a blind eye to the threat of ISIS until it was too late.

“Weakness invites aggression and silence in the face of a brutal enemy. … It allows it to spread and that’s what’s happening all over the world,” Trump told supporters here. “Her claim that my opposition to radical Islamic terrorism … [is] a recruiting tool. … It demonstrates a level of ignorance about the terror threat and its motivations.”

Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Estero, Fla. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Linking this weekend’s bombings to previous attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and Orlando, Fla., Trump revived an old line of criticism against Clinton, suggesting her refusal to use the words “radical Islam” in describing the threat facing the country makes her unfit to lead the country.

“Hillary Clinton talks tougher about my supporters than she does Islamic terrorists,” Trump declared, referring back to Clinton’s claim at a fundraiser earlier this month that half of the GOP nominee’s supporters fit into a “basket of deplorables.” Clinton partially walked back the remark.

“She calls patriotic Americans who support our campaign … deplorable and irredeemable, and she means it, millions of people. Has she ever talked that way about radical Islam? No,” he said.

At the same time, Trump used the bombings to reiterate his call for a tougher immigration system, including his proposal to vet the ideology and worldview of those seeking to enter the United States. He suggested tougher border controls might have prevented the attacks, even though the suspect, Ahmad Khan Rahami, a 28-year-old U.S. citizen who was born in Afghanistan, had immigrated when he was 7 years old.

The bombings and attempted bombings last weekend had no fatalities. A dumpster explosion rocked a Manhattan intersection and injured 29 people. An unexploded pressure-cooker device was found nearby. In New Jersey, an explosion occurred before a delayed charity race took off, and explosives were removed from a train station. Authorities said two officers were injured in a gunfight with the suspect Monday morning before he was arrested.

Calling Rahami an “evil thug,” Trump went on a long rant about the suspected bomber, suggesting he should be treated as a “foreign enemy combatant” and not a typical defendant who has the right to due process. “We will give him amazing hospitalization. He will be taken care of by some of the best doctors in the world. He will be given a fully modern and updated hospital room,” Trump said, referring to injuries Rahami suffered during the shootout with police. “He’ll probably even have room service, knowing the way our country is.”

Trump suggested that Rahami would get an “outstanding lawyer” and predicted his case would wind through the various court systems “for years.” “In the end, people will forget, and his punishment will not be what it once would have been. What a sad situation,” the GOP nominee declared, calling for a “speedy trial” and “very harsh punishment for these people.”

“These are enemies,” Trump added. “These are combatants, and we have to be tough and we have to be strong.”