Graham: Trump’s comments about Obama are ‘highly offensive’
WASHINGTON – Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday sharply criticized Donald Trump’s insinuations that President Barack Obama knew more about or sympathizes with the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, as “highly offensive.”
Federal officials are investigating Sunday’s attack at a gay nightclub – which left 49 dead – as an act of terrorism. The gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terror group.
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, said in an interview Monday with Fox News, “Look, we’re led by a man that either is, is not tough, not smart, or he’s got something else in mind.”
“And the something else in mind, you know, people can’t believe it,” Trump said. “People cannot – they cannot believe that President Obama is acting the ways he acts and can’t even mention the words ‘radical Islamic terrorism.’ There’s something going on. It’s inconceivable. There’s something going on.”
Graham said he disagrees with Obama on policy issues, but Trump’s comments were out of line.
“He loves his country, President Obama, but he is doing a very poor job at defending it,” Graham said. “Mr. Trump seems to be suggesting that the president is one of them. I find it highly offensive. I find that whole line of reasoning way off base.”
Graham has been one of Trump’s most vocal critics in his party. After he dropped his own presidential bid, Graham eventually endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, though he had said earlier in the campaign that choosing between Cruz and Trump was like choosing between getting shot or poisoned.
Graham also said Trump’s reaction to the Orlando attack proved the real estate mogul does not have the judgment or temperament to be commander in chief. In a tweet after the attack, Trump said he appreciated the congratulations for being right about radical Islamic terrorism. He also doubled down on his call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S.
“I’ve run out of adjectives when it comes to Mr. Trump,” Graham said.
Some other Republicans were critical of Trump’s comments. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said his comments were “inappropriate” with people in Orlando mourning. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., criticized Trump on Monday for calling for banning Muslim immigration.
Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said after reviewing excerpts of Trump’s speech Monday in her home state, that she continued to disagree with the presumptive nominee about imposing religious tests for entering the United States.
Ayotte said criteria should be “fact-based, evidence based,” but “it should not be based on someone’s religion.”
Ayotte was focused on the national security aspects of the response to the Orlando attack, citing the importance of outreach to countries in the Middle East in order to fight the Islamic State.
“We need to engage the Muslim countries in the area,” Ayotte said in an interview.