Weekend's violent attacks in US could help Trump's campaign

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump takes the stage for a rally with supporters in Kenansville, North Carolina, US, Sept 20, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - Violent attacks in the US states of New York, New Jersey and Minnesota over the weekend could help Republican candidate Donald Trump's presidential campaign, at a time when terror threat is on the rise.

The weekend saw a chain of incidents including the bombings in downtown New York and New Jersey, which injured dozens of people, and the stabbing attack by a man at a shopping mall in Minnesota, which wounded nine people.

Trump has for the past year been making the case that the current administration, to which his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton is tied as a former secretary of state, has been soft on terrorism.

The bombastic businessman has been talking tough on the issue, vowing to use profiling and other means frowned upon by the Obama administration to go after terrorists.

"Terrorism generally has been a good issue for Trump because it plays to his argument that the world is a dangerous place and America needs a tough leader," Darrell West, vice-president and director of governance studies of the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua.

Trump will say that this confirms his narrative that the United States is under attack and extraordinary measures are needed to protect the country, West said.

"His best argument is that America needs a leader as tough-minded as our adversaries," he said.

In the wake of the latest attacks, Trump and Clinton traded barbs over how to deal with terrorism to ensure national security.

Trump has criticized Clinton for being "weak and ineffective" and "has the most open borders policy of anyone ever".

He blamed the terror attacks, including the shooting attacks in California and Florida, on the Obama administration's failure to screen those entering the country.

Claiming "Immigration security is national security," Trump promised to get tough on illegal immigration as a way of fighting terrorism.