• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

2

MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing

3

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says

1

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

2

MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing

3

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
Leadership

How the Orlando Tragedy Will Test Trump and Clinton

Geoff Colvin
By
Geoff Colvin
Geoff Colvin
Senior Editor-at-Large
Down Arrow Button Icon
Geoff Colvin
By
Geoff Colvin
Geoff Colvin
Senior Editor-at-Large
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 13, 2016, 11:34 AM ET
Getty Images

The mass shooting in Orlando, sure to be the top news story in America for days to come, will be a test and an opportunity for leaders and for aspiring leaders Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Exactly how will depend on how facts develop surrounding two factors: the gunman’s motivation, and how he got his two guns.

Initial information suggests that the attacker, Omar Mateen, was motivated at least in part by Islamic radicalism, in which case the ensuing debate will center on terrorism, which is already the focus of Trump and other Republicans. Clinton and other Democrats are framing a gun-control debate with the potential extra element of anti-gay hatred, which Mateen’s family members believe motivated him. In addition, he reportedly worked in security and was fully licensed to own guns.

The test for Trump will be avoiding gaffes that would further enrage Muslims after his proposal to ban them temporarily from entering the country. Shortly after noon on Sunday, he tweeted, “Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism,” though Matteen’s motivation was far from clear at the time of his tweet. As the presumed Republican nominee, he’ll now be expected to propose a comprehensive response to terrorism. What will it be?

If Mateen was motivated in part by anti-gay prejudice, Trump’s public statements may be revealing on an issue he has largely sidestepped so far. LGBT voters favor Clinton overwhelmingly, and Trump’s core supporters are culturally conservative. But Trump has also, surprisingly, attracted a small band of gay supporters. “Donald Trump is the most pro-gay Republican nominee ever,” Chris Barron, the former national political director of the gay Republican group Log Cabin Republicans, said last week. That assessment is based largely on Trump’s pre-campaign behavior – contributing to AIDS charities, attending Elton John’s wedding, and seeming to support same-sex marriage—though as a candidate he has opposed it. What will he say now?

The test and opportunity for Clinton and for all political leaders is to move these debates forward. Terrorism, gun control, anti-gay bias – these are long-established issues. Republicans and Democrats have dug their trenches, and in trench warfare there’s little movement. The Orlando incident, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, offers a chance for any leader to say something new and unexpected. That’s risky, of course. We’ll see if anyone is willing to take the risk.

One other angle. I’ve been suggesting for weeks that this year’s Libertarian Party ticket could be a surprise game-changer. Though the party has never won even 1% of the vote in a presidential election, it was attracting 10% support in polling a month ago, then 11% after it nominated former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and former Massachusetts Governor William Weld as its ticket, then 12% last week. While Johnson is far from a pure libertarian and Weld isn’t really a libertarian at all, party doctrine has long advocated total abolition of gun control. Johnson and Weld will have to answer very tough questions this week.

This essay appeared in Power Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on leaders and leadership. Sign up here.

About the Author
Geoff Colvin
By Geoff ColvinSenior Editor-at-Large
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Geoff Colvin is a senior editor-at-large at Fortune, covering leadership, globalization, wealth creation, the infotech revolution, and related issues.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Upset frustrated and confused female worker folding hands on chin
Future of Workcompensation
A CEO denied raises to spend money on AI instead. Companies have ‘no idea what they’re going to need in a workforce’ when the AI race is over
By Jacqueline MunisJune 6, 2026
1 hour ago
boss
Future of WorkProductivity
AI productivity gains are real but so is bad management: ‘Leaders are really struggling to articulate what the vision and strategy is’
By Sasha RogelbergJune 5, 2026
16 hours ago
pelley
Arts & EntertainmentMedia
‘I paid the price’: Workers share their Scott Pelley moments of boss talkback — and what it cost them
By Matt Sedensky and The Associated PressJune 5, 2026
17 hours ago
broker
EconomyU.S. jobs report
3 warnings from analysts on the truth lurking beneath the ‘barnburner’ jobs report — and why America’s AI hiring crisis is far from over
By Nick LichtenbergJune 5, 2026
17 hours ago
Suzy Welch, author and NYU Stern School of Business professor
SuccessCareers
NYU Stern professor Suzy Welch says the career aspiration to follow your passion is ‘dumb advice’
By Emma BurleighJune 5, 2026
18 hours ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power (May 23-June 5, 2026)
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power (May 23-June 5, 2026)
By Fortune EditorsJune 5, 2026
19 hours ago

Most Popular

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
AI
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
Success
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
By Sydney LakeJune 5, 2026
1 day ago
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
Economy
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
By Nick LichtenbergJune 5, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 5, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 5, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 5, 2026
20 hours ago
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
Cybersecurity
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
By Sasha RogelbergJune 3, 2026
3 days ago
'Big Tech is desperate': Amazon engineers are calling out the tech giant for its $200 billion in data center spending after slashing 30,000 workers
Environment
'Big Tech is desperate': Amazon engineers are calling out the tech giant for its $200 billion in data center spending after slashing 30,000 workers
By Sasha RogelbergJune 5, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.