Hillary Clinton calls for greater measures to combat ISIS, advocates for stricter gun control
In a statement released Sunday afternoon, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said the US needed to take additional action to stymie ISIS recruitment after a gunman who pledged allegiance to the terror group killed 50 and injured scores more.
"This was an act of terror," Clinton said.
"We need to redouble our efforts to defend our country from threats at home and abroad," she added. "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. It also means refusing to be intimidated and staying true to our values."
The former secretary of state noted that the attack occurred during LGBT pride month, labeling the shooting an "act of hate" against the LGBT community.
"The gunman attacked an LGBT nightclub during Pride Month. To the LGBT community: please know that you have millions of allies across our country. I am one of them. We will keep fighting for your right to live freely, openly and without fear. Hate has absolutely no place in America," Clinton said.
Clinton also echoed President Barack Obama's call for greater gun control efforts
"We need to keep guns like the ones used last night out of the hands of terrorists or other violent criminals," Clinton said. "This is the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States and it reminds us once more that weapons of war have no place on our streets."
For his part, Donald Trump went on the offensive, telling supporters on Twitter that Sunday's attacks proved that he was the better candidate to protect the US against terror threats.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee thanked supporters who congratulated him for "being right" about the dangers of terrorist acts committed by extremists, and retweeted a tweet claiming that Clinton could not make the US safe.