Hillary Clinton took issue with Donald Trump’s quick declaration that a bomb had detonated in New York, though the Democrat used similar words in her initial public remarks about Saturday night’s explosion in Manhattan.
“I think it’s important to know the facts about any incident like this,” Clinton told reporters aboard her charter plane minutes after it landed in Westchester County. “That’s why it’s critical to support the first responders, the investigators who are looking into it trying to determine what did happen. I think it’s also wiser to wait until you have information before making conclusions because we are just in the beginning stages of trying to determine what happened.”
Clinton was asked about earlier remarks by Trump, who declared the explosion a “bomb” as he made a campaign speech to a crowd in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“I must tell you that just before I got off the plane, a bomb went off in New York and nobody knows exactly what’s going on. But, boy, we are really in a time – we better get very tough, folks,” Trump said. “It’s a terrible thing that’s going on in our world and in our country and we are going to get tough and smart and vigilant. We’ll see what it is.
Clinton also, however, seemed to link the explosion to a bomb, telling reporters on her plane that she was briefed “about the bombings in New York and New Jersey and the attack in Minnesota.”
Clinton is correct that there were bombs found Thursday in Seaside Park, New Jersey, where an explosion in a garbage can was caused by rudimentary pipe bombs. But the exact cause of the New York explosion remains unknown. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the Manhattan explosion was “an intentional act” but did not identify a cause of the explosion. He added there was “no evidence” that it was an act of terrorism.
There was also a stabbing in St. Cloud, Minnesota on Saturday that reportedly left the attacker dead and multiple people injured.
Asked if she thought the multiple attacks across different parts of the U.S. were in any way coordinated, Clinton demurred. “I don’t think we know and I think it would not be appropriate to speculate until we do know,” she said. “Let’s try to figure out as much as we can by having the experts, professionals, go through this try to determine what you have to in order to trace it back and then see who’s behind it.”
(via: Politico)
