WASHINGTON (MEDIA GENERAL) – After the shooting massacre at a Southern California social services center, the candidates running for both the Democratic and Republican presidential nomination are addressing gun violence and the threat of extremism here in the United States.
ISIS takes center stage
On Friday afternoon, federal investigators announced they were investigating the San Bernardino attack as an act of terrorism. The investigation could impact how candidates portray themselves on the campaign trail – especially in terms of foreign policy. By Friday afternoon, GOP presidential hopefuls used Twitter to demand a new strategy against religious extremists.
Polls: Trump surges ahead of entire GOP field
A new CNN/ORC poll, released on Friday, showed GOP front-runner Donald Trump maintaining a strong lead against the remaining Presidential hopefuls. The poll, taken before the shootings in California, indicated Trump was 20 percentage points ahead of his closet rival Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). You can see the numbers below:
Trump: 36%
Cruz: 16%
Carson: 14%
Rubio: 12%
Christie: 4%
Bush: 3%
Sunday show talkers
This weekend the candidates will have a chance to address the ISIS threat and their thoughts on gun control during Sunday morning television interviews. Below is the lineup announced so far:
This Week (ABC): Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush
Face the Nation (CBS): Chris Christie, Bernie Sanders
Meet the Press (NBC): Not listed yet
State of the Union (CNN): Donald Trump, John Kasich
FOX News Sunday (FOX): Ben Carson
For the latest in the race for the White House, follow @markpmeredith on Twitter.
