CNN Terrorism Analyst: ‘Not Clear’ Orlando Terrorist Attack Was ‘Terrorism’

‘It is not even clear to me that we have an acts of terror’

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CNN's Terrorism Analyst Phil Mudd says he's "not confident" the Orlando terrorist attack should be considered "terrorism."

"It's not even clear to me yet we have an act of terror," Mudd told a bewildered Carol Costello. 

"I'm not certain yet, let me explain," he continued. "Very simple, to commit an act of terror, a subject, in this case, the shooter, has to go into the location with the intent to murder people for a political purpose. We’re suggesting as we debate the mental state of the individual -- what his relationship was with an ex-wife he abused at one point, with his visits to the club before -- we’re suggesting we understand the mental state of the subject well enough to be confident we know why he committed that act and therefore, to know he was a terrorist. I'm not confident."

"So people might be hearing this and saying, 'Phil, come on, that’s crazy. Of course this was an acts of terrorism,'" Costello replied. 

"We have to judge what his mental state was and if we think he's mentally unstable, how can we make a judgment about his mental state if we’re not certain what motivated him," Mudd insisted. "Not clear yet."

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