Rivals slam Trump after ‘ban Muslims entry’ talk

Trump, the billionaire developer and former reality TV star who frequently uses racially charged rhetoric, called for a complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” Trump had said “we have no choice,” at a rally in South Carolina, warning of more Sept. 11-style attacks if stern measures are not taken.

“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,” Trump said. 

Trump went farther than other Republican candidates, who have called for a suspension of a plan by President Barack Obama to bring into the United States as many as 10,000 Syrian refugees fleeing their country’s civil war and Islamic State militants. 

Trump’s remarks followed last week’s massacre in San Bernardino, California, by a Muslim couple. The husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, was US-born. The wife, Tashfeen Malik, was born in Pakistan and came to the United States from Saudi Arabia. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said yesterday the couple had been radicalized.

Fierce criticism 

Trump’s statement on “preventing Muslim immigration” drew swift and fierce blowback from many directions, including the White House, rivals for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and Republican former Vice President Dick Cheney, who said the idea “goes against everything we stand for and believe in.” Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush said in a tweet, “Donald Trump is unhinged. His ‘policy’ proposals are not serious.” Other social media reaction led hashtags such as racism, fascism and bigot to trend heavily. US President Obama on Sunday night in an Oval Office address called on Americans to be tolerant of fellow citizens regardless of their religion.