Hillary Clinton Says No Thanks to Orlando Shooter’s Dad

KISSIMMEE, FL — Hillary Clinton might be the presidential candidate of choice for the father of the man responsible for the worst mass shooting in modern American history, but that doesn’t mean the Democratic nominee wants Seddique Mateen’s support.

“She disagrees with his views and disavows his support,” campaign spokesman Nick Merrill said in a statement following the elder Mateen's roundabout Monday endorsement.

Clinton spent Tuesday mainly dodging questions related to Mateen’s appearance at her Monday rally in Kissimmee. The campaign statement was released late Tuesday evening.

The elder Mateen not only attended Clinton’s Monday rally in Kissimmee, he sat right behind Clinton while she expressed her sympathies to the families of the 49 people killed by Seddique's son Omar Mateen at Orlando's Pulse nightclub in June.

The 29-year-old shooter’s father did not speak during the rally but did grant an interview following the event to WPTV. The station’s crew bumped into the elder Mateen at a rest stop on the way back to West Palm Beach.

“Hillary Clinton is good for United States versus Donald Trump, who has no solutions,” Mateen told WPTV.

When questioned about whether the Clinton campaign knew he would be in attendance, Mateen replied, “It’s a Democratic party, so everyone can join.”

The Clinton campaign has said it was not aware the elder Mateen would be at the Monday rally.

"The rally was a 3,000-person, open-door event for the public," a statement from the campaign said. "This individual wasn't invited as a guest and the campaign was unaware of his attendance until after the event."

In the aftermath of the terror unleashed by his son at the gay nightclub, Seddique Mateen said, "God will punish those involved in homosexuality," adding it's "not an issue that humans should deal with."

The elder Mateen hosted a TV program on a California-based Afghan TV network. On the show, the shooter's father "ranted about the United States and once declared his support for the Taliban," according to the New York Daily News, in addition to declaring his candidacy in Afghanistan's presidential race.

Omar Mateen was shot and killed in the early morning hours of June 12 after opening fire on a near-capacity crowd at the Orlando nightclub. A total of 49 victims died as a result of the Pulse Night Club & Ultra Bar shooting; the younger Mateen was the 50th casualty. Fifty-three people were also injured in the rampage, which has been classified as an act of terror by the federal government.

The younger Mateen, the FBI has said, was radicalized. He pledged support to the Islamic State during a 911 call placed early that Sunday morning.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has run afoul of the American Muslim community on several occasions since his campaign kicked into high gear during the primaries. His plan to ban all Muslims from coming into the country has met with widespread disapproval. He’s also taken a beating in recent polls following a well-publicized dispute with Khizr Khan, the father of a fallen U.S. soldier.

Image via Gage Skidmore, Flickr, used under Creative Commons