What Did Donald Trump Say About Muslim Immigration?

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Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has again sparked controversy with a statement calling for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”

Read his full statement below:

Donald J. 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. According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population. Most recently, a poll from the Center for Security Policy released data showing “25% of those polled agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad” and 51% of those polled, “agreed that Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah.” Shariah authorizes such atrocities as murder against non-believers who won’t convert, beheadings and more unthinkable acts that pose great harm to Americans, especially women.

Mr. Trump stated, “Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this 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. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again.

Trump’s camp later clarified his statement, adding that the ban would include American citizens returning from overseas travel. He said on Fox News that Muslims serving in the U.S. military would be allowed to return, but “we have to be vigilant.”

He spoke about his statement at a rally in South Carolina on the U.S.S. Yorktown, which you can watch below, starting at the 16-minute mark:

Several Republican presidential candidates responded to Trump’s statement:

The polling data cited by Trump in his statement has been called into question. Read about the group behind that date, the Center for Security Policy, which is led by a man the Southern Poverty Law Center calls an “Islamaphobe,” at the link below:

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