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The worst mass shooting in the U.S. history could give a boost to presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump's presidential campaign, as it underscores Americans' deep concerns about terrorism.
Forty-nine people were killed and 53 others were wounded Sunday at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a gunman who had allegedly pledged allegiance to the terror group Islamic State (IS) , which is considered a growing threat worldwide.
While Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has responded by calling for more gun restrictions - the attacker used a legally purchased military grade automatic rifle - polls show that the gun control debate does not resonate with most Americans.
In sharp contrast, Trump's rhetoric in the terror strike's aftermath has focused solely on the terror threat - an issue that tops the concerns of most Americans.
Republican Strategist Ford O' Connell told Xinhua that in the short run, Trump's focus on terrorism, rather than gun control, will give Trump an edge over Clinton.
"Essentially Americans are scared... And as long as the Trump campaign is about terror and the economy, Trump is on better footing than Clinton," he said.
Indeed, in a recently released poll by Quinnipiac University, Americans view Trump - 49 percent to 41 percent - as a more effective leader in handling IS.
And while a majority of Americans do not think Trump has the temperament to be president, many Americans are not pleased with U. S. President Barack Obama's handling of the terror threat. And Clinton if elected president is regarded as an extension of the Obama administration, O' Connell said.
Indeed, several recent polls show that terrorism tops Americans' list of concerns.
According to a Pew Research survey in January, 75 percent of Americans said both the economy and defending the U.S. against terrorists should be Washington's focus in 2016.
A Gallup poll released in December, in the wake of the IS attacks on Paris that killed 130 people, found that terrorism tops the list of Americans' concerns.
In sharp contrast, despite a number of mass shootings in recent years - including the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, in which 20 children were murdered by a deranged gunman who entered their school - gun control is simply not on the radar of most Americans.
While interest in the issue has tended to spike in the aftermath of several mass shootings in recent years, it dies down after a couple of months and the news cycle shifts toward other issues, polls show.
Moreover, in taking such a strong stance in favor of more firearms legislation, Clinton risks alienating blue collar Democrats, as many in that bloc believe strongly in their constitutional right to bear firearms, O' Connell said.
"The only people who like (gun rights) as much as Republicans are blue collar Democrats, who may well decide this election," O' Connell said, adding that many key states in the 2016 elections are states that favor gun rights.
Those include Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, which tend to be strongholds of the Second Amendment - the part of the U.S. Constitution that guarantees freedom to bear arms.
"There are two issues that haven't seemed to change since 1980. One is abortion and the other is guns. Americans still relatively feel the same way about it today as they did then," O' Connell said.
Darrell West, vice president and director of governance studies of the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua the shooting attacks underscore Trump's message that the country needs a strong leader in a chaotic world.
In addition, experts said the attack will allow Trump to shift the focus away from his controversial remarks against Latinos, as well as his perceived shady business deadline, which have dogged him in recent weeks.
(APD)
