Donald Trump’s support for a government database to track Muslims in the USA has drawn sharp rebukes from his Republican presidential bid rivals as they try to distance themselves from a proposal which legal experts say is unconstitutional.
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Trump, who leads the Republican presidential field in opinion polls, has called for deporting the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in America and building a large wall along the border with Mexico.
Trump tweeted Friday, saying, “I didn’t suggest a database-a reporter did”. He did not expound on just how an administration would determine what constitutes “radicalization” or “anti-American”.
“I said I will not say that Ben Carson’s last week was a bad week because his top person and his top consultant said he’s incapable of learning about foreign policy”, he said, adding, “I won’t say that he said in his book that he suffers from pathological disease”. He said the agency now can afford to monitor only “30 to 60 people”, numbers he did not explain before aides steered him away from reporters.
Jeb Bush, who has been denounced for suggesting Christian refugees should be prioritized over Muslims, joined Clinton in criticizing Trump for his remarks.
On Twitter, he said the idea didn’t originate with him.
When asked whether it was something a Trump White House would implement, he said, “Oh, I would certainly implement that – absolutely”.
Cruz told reporters in Iowa that the Constitution “protects religious liberty and I’ve spent the past several decades defending the religious liberty of every American”.
The Yahoo reporter asked about the possibility of a database for Muslims or “a form of special identification that noted their religion”.
Ohio Governor John Kasich, appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press”, continued his days-long attack against Trump’s database comments, calling the idea nonsense.
Asked whether Muslims would have to register at mosques, Mr Trump said: “Different places”.
Would he put such a database in place as president?
“This isn’t going to hurt Trump”, Limbaugh said, according to a transcript.
And on Fox News the next morning, Trump was unapologetic, saying: “Rough up?”
The Paris attacks have also raised questions about USA plans to admit 10,000 refugees fleeing Syria’s civil war. And watch list is OK.
Trump, among the most outspoken of the 2016 presidential candidates on illegal immigration, also said that if elected he would make Syrians resettled in the US leave the country.
The idea that someone would have to register with the federal government due to their religion strikes against all that we have believed in our nations history, he said. If that’s OK? I want surveillance.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who introduced a bill that would have barred Syrian refugees from coming to the United States, said he does not think that people should be tracked by their religion.
Meanwhile Ben Carson was also accused of creating a “toxic environment” for Muslims after he compared Syrian refugees to “rabid dogs”. I want surveillance of these people that are coming in.
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“If I win, I have made it known, if I win, they are going back, we can’t have them”, he told an enthusiastic crowd.
