Trump calls for ban on Muslims entering U.S.
Republican rival Bush calls candidate ‘unhinged’
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump called Monday for a total ban on Muslims entering the United States, a stunning policy proposal with a chilling echo of the identity-based border controls abandoned by the country generations ago.
The proposal came in a formal statement from his campaign, not in one of the persistent offthe-cuff remarks the Republican presidential poll front-runner has become known for.
“Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on,” the statement said.
“Where this (jihadist) hatred comes from and why, we will have to determine. 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.”
It was unclear how broadly Trump would apply such a policy, had he the power to do so. A Trump spokeswoman, asked whether the ban would extend to other travellers, such as tourists and Muslim Americans returning from work or study abroad, said: “Everyone.”
Trump’s stated rationale for the new policy: polls that, he says, suggest a sizable minority of Muslims support global jihadism. Some critics questioned the methodology of the polling to which he appeared to be referring.
Trump’s Republican rivals reacted with shock, although the strongest ones came from alsoran candidates — not from his closest rivals, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, who have been far more hesitant to attack Trump.
Jeb Bush, who has dropped well back in the race, was more direct. “Donald Trump is unhinged,” Bush tweeted. “His ‘policy’ proposals are not serious.”
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called it the kind of thing people say when they “have no experience and don’t know what they’re talking about.” Sen. Lindsey Graham said Trump was risking the lives of American allies, interpreters, diplomats and troops with his bigoted comments.