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| McCain: Obama 'directly responsible' for Orlando attack – campaign live | McCain: Obama 'directly responsible' for Orlando attack – campaign live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.57pm BST | |
| 20:57 | |
| Arizona senator John McCain may have clarified his comments earlier today, but the full transcript of his declaration that President Barack Obama is “directly responsible” for a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that left 49 people dead doesn’t leave much room for ambiguity: | |
| “Barack Obama is directly responsible for it, because when he pulled everybody out of Iraq, Al-Qaida went to Syria and became Isis and Isis is what it is today thanks to Barack Obama’s failures, utter failures by pulling everybody out of Iraq thinking that conflicts end just because we leave,” McCain said. “So the responsibility for it lies with President Barack Obama and his failed policies.” | |
| “How do you say he’s directly responsible?” a reporter followed up. | |
| “Directly responsible because he pulled everybody out of Iraq, and I predicted at the time that Isis would go unchecked and there would be attacks on the United States of America, it’s a matter of record,” McCain concluded. “So he is directly responsible.” | |
| 8.49pm BST | |
| 20:49 | |
| Sabrina Siddiqui | |
| The office of Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid was quick to link McCain’s comments to the bluster of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, who earlier this week suggested Obama was complicit with terrorists. | |
| “Senator McCain’s unhinged comments are just the latest proof that Senate Republicans are puppets of Donald Trump,” Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson said. “There is no daylight between Senate Republicans and Donald Trump.” | |
| McCain blamed Obama for the attack when reporters on Capitol Hill asked the senator about the renewed debate over gun control in the aftermath of the Orlando shooting. | |
| “Barack Obama is directly responsible for it, because when he pulled everybody out of Iraq, al-Qaeda went to Syria, became ISIS, and ISIS is what it is today thanks to Barack Obama’s failures,” McCain said. | |
| The senator, who is facing a tough re-election battle in Arizona, pointed to what he said was the early withdrawal of US troops from Iraq to back up his claim. | |
| “[Obama] pulled everybody out of Iraq, and I predicted at the time that ISIS would go unchecked, and there would be attacks on the United States of America,” McCain said. | |
| “It’s a matter of record, so he is directly responsible,” McCain continued. “The responsibility for it lies with President Barack Obama and his failed policies.” | |
| McCain has long been critical of Obama’s handling of foreign policy, often accusing the president of “leading from behind” with respect to Iraq and the Syrian civil war. His response was nonetheless peculiar within the context of gun policy, as McCain voted with Democrats to expand background checks after the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre in 2012 and recast the same vote in December when the measure came up once more following the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. | |
| Jeff Flake, the junior senator from Arizona, opted for a more measured tone when asked approach in the Senate hallway for his reaction to McCain’s comments about Obama. | |
| “I don’t want to go there,” Flake said. | |
| Updated | |
| at 8.51pm BST | |
| 8.43pm BST | |
| 20:43 | |
| Arizona senator John McCain has tweeted a clarification of his comments made earlier this afternoon: | |
| To clarify, I was referring to Pres Obama’s national security decisions that have led to rise of #ISIL, not to the President himself | |
| 8.43pm BST | |
| 20:43 | |
| Senate minority leader Harry Reid’s office has responded to Arizona senator John McCain’s accusation that President Barack Obama is “directly responsible” for a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, this weekend that killed 49 people, calling the senator’s statement “unhinged.” | |
| “McCain’s unhinged comments are just the latest proof Senate Republicans are puppets of Donald Trump,” a Reid spokesperson told the Guardian’s Sabrina Siddiqui. | |
| 8.40pm BST | |
| 20:40 | |
| Sabrina Siddiqui | |
| Republicans have signaled that they will not compromise on gun control measures, reports the Guardian’s Sabrina Siddiqui, despite a nearly 15-hour filibuster by Senate Democrats protesting congressional inaction on the issue. | |
| A group of Democrats, flanked by family members of gun violence victims, were at times brought to tears during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Thursday following the murder of 49 people in a gay club in Orlando at the weekend as they inveighed against an epidemic that kills an average of 90 Americans each day and vowed to force Republicans on the record on the issue. | |
| “How on Earth in the face of the largest mass shooting in the history of this nation could the United States Senate ignore it in the week following?” asked Chris Murphy, the Connecticut senator who led a talking filibuster that began Wednesday morning and did not end until the early hours of Thursday. | |
| “My legs are a little bit rubbery, but my heart is strong,” he added. | |
| Murphy, along with 39 of his colleagues, took control of the Senate floor during a debate over an unrelated spending bill as lawmakers returned to business in the wake of the terrorist attack in Florida. The issue has been especially personal to Murphy, who emerged as a leading advocate of reducing gun violence after a gunman in his home state of Connecticut killed 20 children and six educators in the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school tragedy. | |
| Democrats were able to secure a vote on two proposals – one to implement universal background checks and another that would bar suspected terrorists on the FBI watch list from purchasing firearms. | |
| But the Republicans who control the Senate said they would offer their own competing measures, meaning any vote would likely be split along party lines and thus ultimately fail. | |
| Related: Gun control vote in Senate unlikely to produce Republican compromise | |
| 8.32pm BST | |
| 20:32 | |
| Gabrielle Giffords: Shooting of MP Jo Cox 'a manifestation of a coarseness in our politics' | |
| Former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, herself a survivor of a 2011 mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, that left six people dead, has issued a statement in response to the assassination of West Yorkshire MP Jo Cox: | |
| I don’t remember the constituent meeting where I was shot in the head and nearly lost my life, but the scores of such events I and so many others have hosted represent the importance of a democracy connected to its citizens. Just like the January 8, 2011 did not deter America from its founding ideals, the British principle of pluralism and the nation’s democratic institutions will endure. | |
| However, the assassination of MP Jo Cox at the hands of a man driven by hatred is a manifestation of a coarseness in our politics and hatred toward the other that we must not tolerate. Not in the United States, not in Europe, not in Latin America, not in Asia, and not in Africa. MP Cox was courageous, young, and a hardworking public servant. She was a rising star, a mother, and a wife. Mark and I grieve for her family, friends, constituents, and for the people of Great Britain. | |
| 8.14pm BST | 8.14pm BST |
| 20:14 | 20:14 |
| McCain declares Obama 'directly responsible' for Orlando attack | McCain declares Obama 'directly responsible' for Orlando attack |
| Senator John McCain declared President Obama “directly responsible” for the shooting in Orlando that killed 49 people because, says McCain, ISIS grew in power under Obama’s watch. | Senator John McCain declared President Obama “directly responsible” for the shooting in Orlando that killed 49 people because, says McCain, ISIS grew in power under Obama’s watch. |
| When asked to clarify his comments, the senator from Arizona said that Obama’s withdrawal of troops in Iraq and the US’s response to Syria impacted the rise of ISIS. Although Orlando terrorist Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS in a 911 phone call during the attack, his links to the organization and personal politics are not yet known. | When asked to clarify his comments, the senator from Arizona said that Obama’s withdrawal of troops in Iraq and the US’s response to Syria impacted the rise of ISIS. Although Orlando terrorist Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS in a 911 phone call during the attack, his links to the organization and personal politics are not yet known. |
| McCain’s claim that Obama is “directly responsible” came in the same week that Donald Trump attempted to insinuate the president had some connection to the attacks. | McCain’s claim that Obama is “directly responsible” came in the same week that Donald Trump attempted to insinuate the president had some connection to the attacks. |
| McCain, who lost to Obama in 2008, spoke to reporters in DC at the same time that Obama is in Orlando meeting with victims, first responders and the families of victims of Saturday night’s terror attack in the Pulse nightclub against a mainly LGBTQ Hispanic crowd. | McCain, who lost to Obama in 2008, spoke to reporters in DC at the same time that Obama is in Orlando meeting with victims, first responders and the families of victims of Saturday night’s terror attack in the Pulse nightclub against a mainly LGBTQ Hispanic crowd. |
| From Washington Post reporter Michael Debonis: | From Washington Post reporter Michael Debonis: |
| To be clear, arguing Obama is indirectly responsible for fomenting radicalism is one thing. Accusing him of 'direct' responsibility another. | To be clear, arguing Obama is indirectly responsible for fomenting radicalism is one thing. Accusing him of 'direct' responsibility another. |
| 7.58pm BST | 7.58pm BST |
| 19:58 | 19:58 |
| The chairman of the Republican National Convention is busy claiming that he and the presumptive Republican nominee are just fine, no problems here, everything is just smooth sailing. | The chairman of the Republican National Convention is busy claiming that he and the presumptive Republican nominee are just fine, no problems here, everything is just smooth sailing. |
| Flying to Dallas now with @realDonaldTrump...Reports of discord are pure fiction. Great events lined up all over Texas. Rs will win in Nov! | Flying to Dallas now with @realDonaldTrump...Reports of discord are pure fiction. Great events lined up all over Texas. Rs will win in Nov! |
| 7.56pm BST | 7.56pm BST |
| 19:56 | 19:56 |
| OECD head dimisses Trump comments as racist | OECD head dimisses Trump comments as racist |
| The Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and former foreign minister of Mexico, Angel Gurria, said Donald Trump is a racist. | The Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and former foreign minister of Mexico, Angel Gurria, said Donald Trump is a racist. |
| When asked on Al Jazeera English’s Upfront about Trump’s comments regarding Judge Curiel, who is of Mexican descent, Gurria replied: | When asked on Al Jazeera English’s Upfront about Trump’s comments regarding Judge Curiel, who is of Mexican descent, Gurria replied: |
| I would tend to agree with those who say that this is not only misinformed, but yes, I think the word racist can be applied. | I would tend to agree with those who say that this is not only misinformed, but yes, I think the word racist can be applied. |
| “I am the secretary general of the OECD and as such I have to remain neutral... But first and foremost I am a Mexican and I obviously resent very much these kinds of statements,” said Gurria. | “I am the secretary general of the OECD and as such I have to remain neutral... But first and foremost I am a Mexican and I obviously resent very much these kinds of statements,” said Gurria. |
| The economist also dismissed Trump’s plan to build a wall between the USA and Mexico and demand the southern neighbor pay for it. | The economist also dismissed Trump’s plan to build a wall between the USA and Mexico and demand the southern neighbor pay for it. |
| “It’s not going to happen. Period,” said Gurria. “I would not even like to entertain the notion that we should or should not pay for this rather crazy idea.” | “It’s not going to happen. Period,” said Gurria. “I would not even like to entertain the notion that we should or should not pay for this rather crazy idea.” |
| 7.47pm BST | 7.47pm BST |
| 19:47 | 19:47 |
| The Senate will vote next week on several gun control proposals that have emerged with added desperation after the Orlando shooting. The nearly 15-hour filibuster by Democrat Senators on gun control last night ended when the GOP agreed to hear and vote on proposals over background checks and whether those on terror watch lists should have access the guns and while it was thought that might happen today or tomorrow, the votes will happen on Monday. | The Senate will vote next week on several gun control proposals that have emerged with added desperation after the Orlando shooting. The nearly 15-hour filibuster by Democrat Senators on gun control last night ended when the GOP agreed to hear and vote on proposals over background checks and whether those on terror watch lists should have access the guns and while it was thought that might happen today or tomorrow, the votes will happen on Monday. |
| 7.21pm BST | 7.21pm BST |
| 19:21 | 19:21 |
| Update from Orlando: | Update from Orlando: |
| .@POTUS and @VP have arrived at the Orlando Amway Center in downtown for their meetings with victims families, survivors, first responders. | .@POTUS and @VP have arrived at the Orlando Amway Center in downtown for their meetings with victims families, survivors, first responders. |
| WH says @POTUS and @VP met first with local law enforcement to offer thanks for their response to the attack at the Pulse Nightclub. | WH says @POTUS and @VP met first with local law enforcement to offer thanks for their response to the attack at the Pulse Nightclub. |
| 7.05pm BST | 7.05pm BST |
| 19:05 | 19:05 |
| Obama is greeting local politicians - Florida governor Rick Scott, the local mayor of Orlando Buddy Dyer, Senator Marco Rubio - in a very non-partisan moment. All now hopping in cars and heading off to meet families. | Obama is greeting local politicians - Florida governor Rick Scott, the local mayor of Orlando Buddy Dyer, Senator Marco Rubio - in a very non-partisan moment. All now hopping in cars and heading off to meet families. |
| It seems the president is behind schedule, so may not be addressing the public until later. | It seems the president is behind schedule, so may not be addressing the public until later. |
| 7.00pm BST | 7.00pm BST |
| 19:00 | 19:00 |
| It’s nearly time for Obama to address the public in Orlando. This will be the sixth time this year that Obama has made a speech to the nation after a mass shooting, according to WFTV, an Orlando local channel. | It’s nearly time for Obama to address the public in Orlando. This will be the sixth time this year that Obama has made a speech to the nation after a mass shooting, according to WFTV, an Orlando local channel. |
| Vice-president Joe Biden is here, hugging local politicians. | Vice-president Joe Biden is here, hugging local politicians. |
| The stairs have just been put up to Airforce One, waiting for Obama to disembark. He’s just coming down. | The stairs have just been put up to Airforce One, waiting for Obama to disembark. He’s just coming down. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.03pm BST | at 7.03pm BST |