France, others hit by terror may face more screening
It’s necessary to avoid attacks, Trump says
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump singled out France as one country he would subject to the “extreme vetting” he is proposing for those seeking to enter the United States, a move he says is necessary to deter attacks by people coming from countries “compromised by terrorism.”
The GOP presidential nominee was asked if his proposal might mean that far fewer people from overseas would ultimately be allowed into the U.S.
“Maybe we get to that point,” Trump replied, adding: “We have to be smart and we have to be vigilant and we have to be strong.”
Trump also rejected suggestions that his stance on requiring NATO members to pay their share was a mistake; defended Fox News founder Roger Ailes, who left the network amid accusations of sexual harassment; criticized rival Hillary Clinton’s newly named running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine, for accepting $160,000 worth of gifts, much of it for trips, while Virginia’s governor; dismissed descriptions of his nomination acceptance speech as “dark,” instead calling it “optimistic”; and expressed disapproval of David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader who is seeking a Senate seat from Louisiana.
Trump reiterated that he wouldn’t release his tax returns until an IRS audit is complete, although such an inquiry doesn’t bar him from making the documents public.
Trump said that Germany and France have been compromised by terrorism. “It’s their own fault. Because they allowed people to come into their territory.” He then called for “extreme vetting” and said, “We have to have tough, we’re going to have tough standards. … If a person can’t prove what they have to be able to prove, they’re not coming into this country.”
Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, played down the potential effects of Trump’s call for “extreme vetting” for people coming from France and Germany. Manafort said the U.S. will have an easier time screening people from those countries because of long-standing “cooperative agreements.”
“He is calling for cooperative efforts to make sure that wherever people are coming in, that we know who they are and what they stand for,” Manafort said said.