Clinton condemns attack, plans speech on terrorism for Monday
Clinton condemns attack, plans speech on terrorism for Monday
Hillary Clinton on Sunday pronounced the Orlando mass shooting an “act of terror” and said the country should “redouble our efforts to defend our country from threats at home and abroad.”
“That means defeating international terror groups, working with allies and partners to go after them wherever they are, countering their attempts to recruit people here and everywhere, and hardening our defenses at home,” she said in a statement released mid-afternoon.
Unlike her Republican rival Donald Trump, the presumptive Democratic nominee described the attack as an act of hate and cited it as a reason to change gun laws.
She would fight for the rights of LGBT people to “live freely, openly and without fear,” she said. “Hate has absolutely no place in America.”
“We need to keep guns like the ones used last night out of the hands of terrorists or other violent criminals,” she added.
Clinton’s primary focus, however, was on national security, likely reflecting an awareness that Trump plans to go hard in attacking the Obama administration’s handling of national security and, by extension, her role as a key official in the administration.
Clinton plans a speech on how to address terrorism and hate in Cleveland on Monday, aides said.
“This is a time to stand together and resolve to do everything we can to defend our communities and country,” she said in her statement.
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