Clinton to make counterterrorism pitch before GOP debate

By Ariel Cohen, Ariel Cohen

Published December 20, 2015

Just an hour before the main Republican presidential candidates debate national security, Hillary Clinton will speak about homegrown domestic terrorism and the Islamic State in a Tuesday speech in Minnesota.

The former secretary of state will reportedly highlight the "threat of domestic radicalization" in regard to homeland security, but also emphasize the importance of "inclusiveness and religious freedom."

As President Obama's former top diplomat, Clinton is running on her foreign policy experience. In the wake of the attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and in Paris, Clinton called for increased vigilance towards terrorism as well tougher gun control.

This is the third speech Clinton has given on the Islamic State and counterterrorism in the past month, an issue that weights much more heavily on the minds of independents and conservatives. A recent Gallup survey reports that 16 percent of Americans now view terrorism as the most important issue facing the United States, increased from just 3 percent in November.