In his statement on the Orlando terrorist attack, House Speaker Paul Ryan declared Sunday evening that “We are a nation at war with Islamist terrorists.”
“It is horrifying to see so many innocent lives cut short by such cowardice. Tonight, and in the long days ahead, we will grieve with the families. We will thank the heroes. We will hope for a swift recovery for the injured,” the statement said.
“As we heal, we need to be clear-eyed about who did this. We are a nation at war with Islamist terrorists. Theirs is a repressive, hateful ideology that respects no borders. It is a threat to our people at home and abroad. Our security depends on our refusal to back down in the face of terror. We never will.”
Ryan’s statement differed from President Obama’s in that he addressed the ties between Islam and terrorism. Donald Trump has called on President Obama to resign over his refusal to use the words “radical Islamic terrorism.”