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Poll: On Terrorism, Americans Favor Clinton Over Trump


FILE - A heavily armed New York city police officer with the Strategic Response Group stands guard in New York's Times Square, Nov. 14, 2015.
FILE - A heavily armed New York city police officer with the Strategic Response Group stands guard in New York's Times Square, Nov. 14, 2015.

A new poll shows most Americans believe Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton would do a better job dealing with terrorism than her Republican rival Donald Trump.

Fifty percent of those surveyed in the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll say they trust Clinton to handle terrorism, compared to 39 percent for Trump.

The latest poll results show a significant shift in public opinion since the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, occurred in 2015, when Trump's call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States received strong support from Republicans.

Eight out of 10 respondents in the latest poll say they are concerned about lone wolf attacks. Fifty three percent of those surveyed are "very concerned" and two thirds say they are not confident in the government's ability to stop lone wolf attacks.

This concern did not benefit Trump, who has made a war on terrorism a priority. Those concerned about terrorist attacks trust Clinton over Trump by a 49 to 43 margin.

Clinton also received more favorable reviews for her response to the recent mass shooting in Orlando, Florida. Forty six percent said Clinton had the better response, while 28 percent preferred Trump's.

The poll also showed Clinton's "temperament" was a favored attribute after the Orlando shootings. Fifty nine percent said her temperament was better, compared with 25 percent for Trump’s.

Trump, who initially expressed concern for those killed and wounded in the mass shooting, claimed credit for "being right on radical Islamic terrorism." He also urged President Barack Obama to step down if he did not use the words "radical Islam" when addressing the public.

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