Clinton and Trump have each sought the upper hand as the chief executive most capable of battling terrorism. While the GOP business mogul has vowed to project strength and decisive action against terror, the former secretary of state has pointed to her deep foreign policy credentials and warned that Trump could plunge the nation into another war.
Trump has previously called for an unprecedented temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S., and said in his Ohio speech that he would overhaul the nation’s screening process and block those who sympathize with extremist groups or fail to embrace American values.
The Republican nominee has made changes to the nation’s immigration system and the construction of a wall along the Mexican border a key part of his fight against terrorism and the Islamic State group, which he compared to the struggle against communism during the Cold War.
As president, Trump said he would encourage immigrants to assimilate and urge parents, teachers and others to promote “American culture.” But he declined to say which regions of the world would race “extreme” vetting and how federal agencies would go about conducting the review.
Trump was traveling on Tuesday to Milwaukee, the site of ongoing protests over the fatal shooting of a black man by a black police officer. His visit follows several days of violence that has left businesses in flames and the Milwaukee police chief expressing surprise at the level of unrest.
Clinton said Monday during a stop in Scranton, Pennsylvania, that the Milwaukee protests showed the nation had “urgent work to do to rebuild trust between police and communities” and that “everyone should have respect for the law and be respected by the law.”
In an interview on Fox News Channel, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker accused Clinton of “inflaming the situation” with her comments.
“I think people understand in that neighborhood and Sherman Park and in Milwaukee, they want law enforcement to step up and protect them,” he said, adding that “statements like that” from Clinton and a “lack of leadership” from Obama “only inflame the situation.”
Trump was expected to hold an event with veterans and law enforcement officers on Tuesday.
While polls have shown Clinton building a lead following the Philadelphia convention, Democrats are fearful that a depressed voter turnout might diminish support among the minority, young and female voters who powered President Barack Obama to two victories.
Clinton said at the voter registration event at a Philadelphia high school that she’s “not taking anybody anywhere for granted” in the race for the White House, saying the stakes “could not be higher.”
While guarding against complacency, Clinton is also preparing for a potential administration.
Her campaign announced that former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a former Colorado senator, would chair her White House transition team. It will also include former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and two longtime Clinton advisers: Neera Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress, and Maggie Williams, who now leads the Institute of Politics at Harvard University.
Her team, which is being overseen by campaign chairman John Podesta, will handle long-term planning for a potential Clinton White House should the former secretary of state win the election in November. Trump has already tapped New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to lead his transition efforts.
By law, both nominees have access to national security and other federal government briefings.
