December 7, 2015

Trump Calls for Banning Muslims From Entering the Country


Republican front-runner Donald Trump is calling for the “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,” according to a statement his campaign sent to reporters on Monday.

Trump cites a poll finding that “25% of those polled agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad.” That poll, a survey of 600 Muslims, came from the Center for Security Policy (CSP), a Washington-based think tank run by former Ronald Reagan official Frank Gaffney (who once said that CIA Director David Petraeus was a slave to Islamic Shariah law). Shortly after it was published, the integrity of the poll was debunked by the Huffington Post, which critiqued its loaded questions and exaggerated conclusions.

Trump, who has recently supported the profiling and tracking of Muslim citizens, doubled down in his statement on Monday.

“Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension,” Trump wrote. “Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”

According to Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s campaign manager, the ban would apply to everyone, including tourists.

Shortly after issuing the release, Trump tweeted that the United States must be “vigilant” about the “extraordinary influx of hatred and danger” entering the country.

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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