Hillary Clinton said in an interview Monday that she will continue to steer clear of using the term “radical Islam.”
“To me, radical jihadism, radical Islamism, I think they mean the same thing,” Clinton told Savannah Guthrie on NBC’s “Today” show, in response to Donald Trump’s criticism of both her and President Obama for avoiding the phrase.
The interview took place just a day after Orlando shooter Omar Saddiqui Mateen called 911 during the worst mass shooting in United States history and pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS.
“I’m not going to demonize, and demagogue, and declare war on an entire religion, that’s just plain dangerous and plays into ISIS’ hand,” Clinton said.
Trump has been critical of Democrats who don’t use the term “radical Islam” for quite some time, tweeting about it as Obama prepared to address the nation on Sunday on the heels of the Orlando shooting.
Is President Obama going to finally mention the words radical Islamic terrorism? If he doesn't he should immediately resign in disgrace!
“I think Trump, as usual, is obsessed with name calling. And from my perspective, it matters what we do not what we say,” Clinton said. “It matters that we got Bin Laden, not what name we called him. If he [Trump] is somehow suggesting I don’t call this what it is, he hasn’t been listening.”
16 Potential Hillary Clinton Running Mates, From Elizabeth Warren to Cory Booker (Photos)
The Democratic National Convention will be held in Philadelphia July 25-28, but it’s never too early to think about Hillary Clinton’s running mate. Check out some of the potential candidates.
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Julian Castro, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is considered a leader for the nomination.
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New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is a favorite of Hillary Clinton supporters.
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At least Clinton knows Bernie Sanders won't ever bring up her "damn emails."
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The former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg thought about running himself.
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Elizabeth Warren is hugely popular among progressive Democrats.
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George Clooney hosted big-money fundraisers for Clinton and is extremely interested in politics.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner has explored running for president himself.
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New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich was endorsed by the NRA during the 2010 congressional election.
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Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has publicly supported Clinton.
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Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown is considered a progressive hero.
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Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley thought he had a chance for the presidency, so it’s safe to assume he’d love a shot at VP.
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Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar lacks name recognition but is popular among Democratic insiders.
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Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez could help with Hispanic voters and Catholics.
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Who will she select as the vice president on the Democratic ticket?
The Democratic National Convention will be held in Philadelphia July 25-28, but it’s never too early to think about Hillary Clinton’s running mate. Check out some of the potential candidates.