Citing a senior national security expert, Hillary Clinton suggested in an interview broadcast on Israeli TV Thursday that terror groups may hope that Donald Trump is elected president of the United States.
In the interview, Clinton referenced recent research by Matt Olsen, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, saying that Olsen "quoted ISIS spokespeople rooting for Trump’s victory."
"Basically Matt Olsen argues that this is a great gift," she continued. "They are saying 'please Allah make Trump president of America.' So I’m not interested in giving aid and comfort to their evil ambitions –I want to defeat them. I want to end their reign of terror. They can be getting more recruits because of our politics."
House Speaker Paul Ryan slammed Clinton's statement during an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt.
"I think that's profoundly wrong. I don't think it’s right to say that. I think that's fear mongering, that's demagoguery, that's scare tactics," he said.
Questioned about the statement by NBC News during a press conference Thursday morning, Clinton again referenced Olsen's work and cited his belief that a Trump presidency "would give even more motivation to every jihadi."
"That is a gift for ISIS and that is what Matt Olsen, who knows more about this than the Republicans trying to somehow muddy the waters, very clearly stated,” she said.
In a statement, Donald Trump's campaign called Clinton's comments "unhinged and dishonest."
