Today [December 8] President-hopeful Donald Trump declared to stand by his call to block all Muslims from entering the U.S, regardless of the scrutiny he faces from his rival Republican candidates, party leaders and others.
He defended his plans for a “total and complete shut down of Muslims entering the United States.” He compared it to President Franklin Roosevelt’s decision to intern Japanese Americans during World War II. He backed his comparison stating, “This is a president who was highly respected by all. If you look at what he was doing, it was far worse.”
Trump has been compared to Adolf Hitler on many occasions, from memes on social media to the front page of the Philadelphia Daily News when they pictured Trump holding his right hand out, portraying a Nazi salute. The headline read, “The New Furor.”
Trump was asked his opinion about the comparison during an interview Tuesday on ABC and CNN, which caused him to come full force, standing by his Monday night statement about banning Muslims. He stated he won’t change his mind “until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on,” referring to the Paris attacks and San Bernardino shooting that left 14 dead and 17 wounded.
“We are at war. We have a president who doesn’t want to say that,” said Trump. He then added in a written statement that, “until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe in jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”
His proposed ban would apply to immigrants and visitors, which would affect all adherents of a religion practiced by more than a billion people. Trump’s campaign manager said that this ban would apply to “everybody,” including tourists seeking to enter the country.
Trump explained, during at interview with Fox News, that armed forces would “come home” and his plan wouldn’t apply to people living in the country.
This isn’t the first time that Trump has mad crude comments, he started with his rhetoric about Mexican immigrants and then continued with his Muslim comments in the days following the Paris attacks, when he advocated for surveillance to be placed at mosques due to fear over radicalization.
Jeb Bush, Republican candidate said via Twitter that “Donald Trump is unhinged” and continued by stating “his ‘policy’ proposals are not serious.” Jennifer Horn, chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Hampshire, stated “it is un-Republican. It is unconstitutional. And it is un-American.”
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest added today that Trump’s campaign had a “dustbin of history” quality to it and said his comments “disqualify him from serving as President.” Earnest also said other Republican presidential candidates, who’ve pledged to support the person who eventually wins their party’s nomination, should disavow Trump “right now.”
