KISSIMMEE, Fla. — It was all about Hillary Clinton during a campaign event Monday evening in Kissimmee.
But on Tuesday, the story became not so much about what Clinton said than the presence of a man in a red hat sitting in the crowd behind her.
During her speech, the Democratic presidential hopeful spoke about the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in which 49 people lost their lives and 53 others were wounded.
Unbeknown to Clinton, sitting behind her among numerous other supporters was the father of the Pulse gunman, Omar Mateen.
The Clinton campaign said the man, Seddique Mateen, was not invited to the event and none of Clinton's staffers knew he was there until after the rally.
"Somebody in the campaign should have noticed,” asked Channel 9’s Christopher Heath.
“Yes, this was a tactical error on the part of the Clinton campaign staff,” said WFTV political analyst Rick Foglesong.
Seddique Mateen, who once ran for the presidency of Afghanistan, has denounced the actions of his son in Orlando.
During an interview in the days after the attack, Seddique Mateen went further, saying “I cannot forgive him.”
Speaking after the event, Mateen said he believed in Clinton’s message and her plan for the U.S.
“Clinton is good for (the) United States, versus Donald Trump,” he said.
Mateen said he was invited to the event by the Democratic Party.
“So it came out – I’m a member (of the Democratic Party), so as a member I get the invitations,” he said. “Nothing particular about it.”
When asked how he felt when Clinton mentioned the Pulse massacre, Mateen said he thought about what his son could have been and done, not what he did.
“I wish, because I spoke a lot about that – and I wish that my son joined the Army and fought ISIS and destroyed ISIS,” Mateen said. “That would be much better.”
Omar Mateen called 911 before and during the Pulse attack and declared allegiance to ISIS, police said.
Asked whether Clinton knew that he would be sitting directly behind her, Seddique Mateen brushed off the question.
“It’s a Democratic Party, so everybody can join,” he said.
People in and around Orlando should not be surprised to see him in the area, Mateen said.
“Why they should be surprised?” he asked. “I love (the) United States and I’ve been living here a long time.”
Foglesong said while Seddique Mateen has never been charged with a crime, his appearance in a prominent position behind Clinton is a distraction.
"I'm sure someone is asking this morning, “How come you didn't know? How come you allowed this to happen?’" Foglesong said.
9 Investigates discovered Mateen gave $275 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. That alone means he would have received an email informing him of Monday’s Kissimmee rally.
The Clinton campaign issued a statement following the rally, saying Mateen was not specifically invited to the event.
Statement from Clinton campaign:
"The rally was a 3,000-person, open-door event for the public. This individual wasn't invited as a guest and the campaign was unaware of his attendance until after the event."
Cox Media Group
