Former senator and GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum said Sunday that, without a doubt, the attack on a Charleston, S.C., church earlier this week was an act of terrorism.
Nevertheless, the former senator from Pennsylvania hedged on whether or not the Confederate flag that flies over the South Carolina Capitol should be taken down.
Santorum told host Martha Raddatz of ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that he is aware that other presidential candidates are opining on the flag issue. But he believes they shouldn’t take a position on every issue, and should leave the flag decision up to the state.
The flag has become a symbol of racial division in the wake of the church attack that killed nine black church members in Charleston, S.C., on Wednesday. The white assailant posed with the Confederate flag in photos and said the murders were racially motivated.
The person behind the murder of nine people on Wednesday was “trying to terrorize people … and I don’t think there is any question this is an act of terrorism,” Santorum told ABC’s “This Week.”
“It’s as purely evil as we’ve seen in this country in a long, long time,” the former senator of Pennsylvania said.
He would not say whether or not he would like to see federal or state charges handed down for the murders. “Whether they’re federal or state charges really doesn’t matter, this young man is going to get justice served on him,” Santorum said, referring to the 21 year-old assailant Dylann Roof.
Host Martha Raddatz continued to press Santorum, however, arguing that the question is “beyond South Carolina, don’t you think” and finally asking with exasperation: “Do you not have a position on this at all?”
“I am not a South Carolinian, and I think this is a decision that should be made by people [in the state,]” Santorum replied. “I don’t think the federal government, or federal candidates should be making decisions on everything and opining on everything.”
“This is a decision that needs to be made here in South Carolina,” he said. “My opinion is we should let the people of South Carolina to go about the process of making this decision,” he said.
