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13th Jun 2016

Donald Trump attacked for “boasting” in a tweet following Orlando gay club massacre

"Appreciate the congrats"

Conor Heneghan

You have to wonder about the type of person who think of saying something like this.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, 50 people lost their lives after a gunman opened fire in Pulse, an LBGT nightclub in Orlando.

A further 53 people were taken to hospital as a result of what is now being classified as the worst shooting in US history, and largest domestic terrorist attack since September 11, 2001.

In sad times like this, political figures are supposed to show signs of leadership and solidarity; Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the US Presidency, decided to congratulate himself for having seen it coming.

This tweet by singer Gabrielle Aplin summed up the flavour of many of the responses.

https://twitter.com/GabrielleAplin/status/742048213969031168

Trump’s tweet of congratulations was preceded by one in which he offered his sympathies for the victims and his families.

It was followed by calls for the immediate resignation of Barack Obama if he didn’t mention the words “radical Islamic terrorism” in response to the Orlando shooting.

Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, gave the following response to the tragic events of Sunday morning.

Many people have called out Trump for taking such a tactless approach in the aftermath of the crisis.

https://twitter.com/TheFix/status/742186817596870657

https://twitter.com/jbarro/status/742035786913218560

https://twitter.com/Rob_Flaherty/status/742036365324472320