‘Appreciate the congrats’: Trump says Orlando shooting proves him right on terror

After the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, Donald Trump said on Sunday that people were congratulating him “for being right” about terrorism.

“Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism,” the presumptive GOP presidential nominee wrote on Twitter.

“I don’t want congrats,” he added. “I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!”

Earlier in the day, a gunman killed 50 people in an Orlando nightclub, authorities said. According to the Washington Post, local law enforcement reports said the shooter, identified as Omar Mateen, had at some point pledged loyalty to the Islamic State terror group.

Hours before his Sunday tweet about Islamic terrorism, Trump also wrote that he was praying for the victims and urged the United States to “get tough.”

Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s reaction to the Orlando massacre was more cautious, as authorities continue to investigate the attack.

Later in the day Sunday, both candidates released lengthier statements about the dance club massacre.

Trump’s statement fumed about President Obama’s reluctance to blame the attack on “radical Islam.” He called for Obama to resign as a result. Trump said in part:

“Last night, our nation was attacked by a radical Islamic terrorist. It was the worst terrorist attack on our soil since 9/11, and the second of its kind in 6 months. My deepest sympathy and support goes out to the victims, the wounded, and their families.

“In his remarks today, President Obama disgracefully refused to even say the words ‘Radical Islam’. For that reason alone, he should step down. If Hillary Clinton, after this attack, still cannot say the two words ‘Radical Islam’ she should get out of this race for the Presidency.

“If we do not get tough and smart real fast, we are not going to have a country anymore. Because our leaders are weak, I said this was going to happen – and it is only going to get worse. I am trying to save lives and prevent the next terrorist attack. We can’t afford to be politically correct anymore.”

For her part, Clinton called for additional steps to be taken to combat terrorism, homophobia, and the spread of “weapons of war” on U.S. streets. Her statement said in part:

“This was an act of terror. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are hard at work, and we will learn more in the hours and days ahead. For now, we can say for certain that we need to redouble our efforts to defend our country from threats at home and abroad. That means defeating international terror groups, working with allies and partners to go after them wherever they are, countering their attempts to recruit people here and everywhere, and hardening our defenses at home. It also means refusing to be intimidated and staying true to our values.

“This was also an act of hate. The gunman attacked an LGBT nightclub during Pride Month. To the LGBT community: please know that you have millions of allies across our country. I am one of them. We will keep fighting for your right to live freely, openly and without fear. Hate has absolutely no place in America.

“Finally, we need to keep guns like the ones used last night out of the hands of terrorists or other violent criminals. This is the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States and it reminds us once more that weapons of war have no place on our streets.”

Follow here for live updates on the Orlando nightclub shooting.