Trump’s comments came just hours before a planned policy address on national security that will present his first formal remarks since the Sunday morning shootings. Monday’s speech, which Trump will deliver at St.
Anselm College at 2:30 p.m. ET, was originally planned to be the opening of his general-election campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton, contrasting his candidacy with what he has called her leadership and ethical shortcomings.
But after Sunday’s attack, Trump aides scrambled to recast the speech to focus more on the Orlando attack as well as immigration and national security — though it’s unclear exactly what Trump will say.
The speech is still expected to contrast Trump’s candidacy with Clinton’s, but it could also wade into politically risky territory, addressing the controversial issues that have plagued his campaign, including the proposed Muslim ban, which many Republican lawmakers publicly oppose. Republicans also worry it will raise more questions about Trump’s experience and temperament to be president.
In recent weeks, Trump seemed to have distanced himself from the ban, barely mentioning it at rallies. That prompted some Republicans to privately question whether he was attempting to moderate his position. But Trump revived the subject on Sunday in a series of Twitter messages that reopened questions about his ability to respond to a crisis. As he has in the past, he claimed credit for raising the alarm about radical Islam.
“Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism,” Trump wrote.
The comment echoed other remarks Trump has made on Twitter in the aftermath of other deadly terrorist attacks, which critics say have taken on a self-congratulatory tone. “Time & time again, I have been right on terrorism,” Trump wrote in March after a series of deadly bombings in Brussels.
In an interview with NBC Monday, Trump defended his tone, insisting he was just responding to supporters who had offered their congratulations because “I’ve been the one that predicted it.” But he added, “I don’t want the credit … I want you to be strong and vigilant, and I want you to be smart.”
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