Donald Trump responded to President Obama’s sharp criticism on Tuesday, claiming the president has routinely put enemies of the U.S. ahead of the safety and security of America and its allies.
“[Obama] claims to know our enemy, and yet he continues to prioritize our enemy over our allies, and for that matter, the American people,” the presumptive Republican presidential nominee wrote in an email to the Associated Press.
“When I am president, it will always be America first,” Trump said.
The billionaire’s response came hours after Obama blasted Republicans for criticizing his refusal to use the phrase “radical Islam” in the aftermath of the Orlando shooting and slammed Trump’s proposal to temporarily ban all non-American Muslims from entering the U.S. until law enforcement authorities and intelligence officials can ensure immigrants from countries with ties to terrorism are properly screened.
“Are we going to start treating all Muslim Americans differently? Place them under special surveillance? Discriminate against them because of their faith? Do Republican officials actually agree with this?” Obama said to reporters following his latest briefing on the recent terror attack.
“That’s not the America we want. It doesn’t reflect our ideals,” he said, adding that “if we fall into the trap of painting all Muslims with a broad brush we are doing the terrorists’ work for them.”
Trump has been criticized by a handful of Democrats — including his opponent Hillary Clinton — in the past 24 hours for repeatedly insinuating during several interviews on Monday that Obama could have ulterior motives when it comes to his counterterrorism strategy.
“Look guys, we’re led by a man that either 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,” he told Fox News Monday morning.
