Ahmad Khan Rahami, a 28-year-old Afghan-born naturalized US citizen, was charged with five counts of attempted murder after a police shootout.
Donald Trump said it was a “sad situation” and underscores the country’s weak national security.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton said Donald Trump’s rhetoric only helped terrorist groups.
She told reporters at a news conference outside NYC: “The kinds of rhetoric and language that Mr. Trump has used is giving aid and comfort to our adversaries.”
Hillary Clinton added that she was the only candidate equipped with the experience of being “part of the hard decisions to take terrorists off the battlefield”.
Donald Trump fired back in a statement, saying that a Clinton presidency would only lead to “more attacks on our homeland and more innocent Americans being hurt and killed”.
Later at a campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, Donald Trump decried Ahmad Khan Rahami’s treatment for gunshot wounds and his legal representation, which is his constitutional right under the Fifth Amendment.
He said: “But the bad part, now we will give him amazing hospitalization. He will be taken care of by some of the best doctors in the world.
“He will be given a fully modern and updated hospital room. And he’ll probably even have room service knowing the way our country is.”
Donald Trump suggested that any punishment would be too lenient on Ahmad Khan Rahami. “What a sad situation,” he added.
The Republican nominee repeated calls for “extreme vetting” of new arrivals, which would include an assessment of whether potential immigrants share American values.
The country’s national security became a central issue in the election after a series of bombings over the weekend culminated with Ahmad Khan Rahami’s arrest on September 19.
US officials involved in the investigation have told media that Ahmad Khan Rahami had traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent years.
But at a news conference on September 19, the FBI said they had as yet found no links to international terror groups.
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