Nicola Sturgeon rejects Donald Trump after Orlando massacre comments
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has condemned comments made by Donald Trump in the wake of the Orlando massacre.
50 people were killed and 53 injured in the shocking terrorist hate crime attack over the weekend, which saw a gunman open fire inside The Pulse gay bar in Orlando, Florida.
Trump – who opposes transgender rights, would appoint justices to repeal equal marriage and opposes federal anti-discrimination protections – claimed in a speech after the massacre that he is a “real friend” of LGBT people, insisting a victory for Hillary Clinton would lead to the deaths of more gays.
He claimed: “Ask yourself, who is really the friend of women and the LGBT community, Donald Trump with his actions, or Hillary Clinton with her words? Clinton wants to allow Radical Islamic terrorists to pour into our country—they enslave women, and murder gays.”
Even though the attacker was a US citizen, he renewed calls for a ban on Muslims visiting the US, claiming: “Hillary Clinton can never claim to be a friend of the gay community as long as she continues to support immigration policies that bring Islamic extremists to our country who suppress women, gays and anyone who doesn’t share their views.”
The Republican Presidential hopeful is set to visit Scotland next week to open a golf course – but ahead of the visit, the notoriously thin-skinned Republican might not be thrilled by comments made in an interview by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The Scottish National Party politician told Reuters that while she does not want to interfere in the US election, “I don’t think it’s any secret that I hope and believe that the good sense of the good people of the United States will prevail here.”
She said: “It’s their decision and the world will have to live with that decision, but some of Donald Trump’s comments in the last couple of days, I think, should make everyone pause for serious thought.”
Asked whether she would work with Trump if be becomes President, she said: “I’m really hoping that doesn’t arise.
“It’s really not the done thing to be commenting on a election process in another country, but I really don’t think I would be surprising anyone if I were to say that I would rather be found to be in the position of congratulating President [Hillary] Clinton.”
