Clinton says Trump gives 'aid, comfort' to ISIS; he urges tougher policing

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks with members of the media at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 19, 2016.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks with members of the media at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 19, 2016.

ESTERO, Fla. (AP) - Hillary Clinton accused Donald Trump of giving "aid and comfort" to Islamic terrorists Monday, declaring his anti-Muslim rhetoric helps groups such as ISIS recruit new fighters. Trump showed no sign of changing and insisted the U.S. should "use whatever lawful methods are available" to get information from the Afghan immigrant arrested in this weekend's bombings.

As Trump supporters at a packed rally in Florida shouted "Hang him!" the Republican presidential candidate mocked the fact Ahmad Khan Rahami, a 28-year-old U.S. citizen originally from Afghanistan, would receive quality medical care and legal representation.

"We must deliver a just and very harsh punishment to these people," he said. "These are enemies, these are combatants, and we have to be tough, we have to be strong."

Both candidates moved swiftly to capitalize on investigations into a weekend of violent attacks - bombings in New York and New Jersey and stabbings at a Minnesota mall - casting themselves as most qualified to combat terrorism at home and abroad.

Clinton touted her national security credentials at a hastily arranged news conference outside her campaign plane, accusing Trump of using the incidents to make "some kind of demagogic point."

"I'm the only candidate in this race who's been part of the hard decisions to take terrorists off the battlefield," Clinton, a former secretary of state, told reporters. 

"I know how to do this."

The possibility of a home-grown terrorist plot cast a new shadow over the presidential race, diverting both candidates' attention from the daily controversies of the campaign and giving them a high-profile opportunity to make their case to undecided voters.

While much of the foreign policy establishment has rallied around Clinton, Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric, promises to close U.S. borders and vows to aggressively profile potential terrorists have fueled his presidential bid.

On Monday, he called for tougher policing, including profiling foreigners who look like they could have connections to terrorism or certain Mideastern nations.

"This isn't just a matter of terrorism, this is also really a question of quality of life," he said. "We want to make sure we're only admitting people into our country who love our country."

Pointing to her Monday morning comment that Trump's words give "aid and comfort" to Islamic extremists, his campaign said Clinton was accusing him of treason, going beyond the bounds of acceptable campaigning and trying to change the subject from her own failures.

Trump said terrorists have a preference: They "want her so badly to be our president."