Orlando shooter's father makes eyebrow-raising appearance at Clinton rally

Seddique Mateen, the father of Omar Mateen, was sitting behind the presidential candidate at the event in Kissimmee, Florida. (Screenshot via ABC News Videos)

Caitlinedickson August 9, 2016

The father of Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen was spotted sitting behind Hillary Clinton at a Monday campaign rally in Kissimee, Fla.

Clinton, in the Central Florida city to talk about jobs, was actually paying tribute to the victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre when local NBC affiliate WPTV noticed that one of the rally-goers seated prominently behind the Democratic presidential nominee was Seddique Mateen, the mass shooter’s father.

The elder Mateen became the subject of widespread media attention in the aftermath of the attack on the gay nightclub killed 49 people. He initially made headlines as the horrified parent of a mass killer who immediately expressed shock and condemnation of his son’s actions. But he also generated attention through his active social media presence and Afghan satellite TV show, in which he posed as the president of Afghanistan and expressed support for the Taliban. His critical views on homosexuality also drew notice.

After the rally, WPTV caught up with Mateen, who showed off a sign he made for the event and said, “Hillary Clinton is good for United States versus Donald Trump, who has no solutions.”

Asked how he felt during Clinton’s comments about his son’s victims, Mateen simply stated, “We’ve been cooperating with the federal government, and that’s about it.”

Clinton’s campaign did not respond to Yahoo News’ immediate request for comment on Mateen’s visible presence at the rally as well as his support for the candidate, but a campaign spokesperson told WPTV in a statement that 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.”

Mateen offered no further indication that either his attendance or prominent placement at the rally had been coordinated with the Clinton campaign, telling WPTV, “It’s a Democratic party, so everyone can join.”

As for why he chose to attend the event, less than 30 miles from where his son carried out the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, Mateen said, “[I] wish that my son had joined the Army and fought ISIS. That would be much better.” He also scoffed at the suggestion that others might be surprised to see him there.

“Why should they be surprised?” he asked. “I love the United States, and I’ve been living here a long time.