Trump calls for ban on Muslims entering US

WASHINGTON

All Muslim immigration to the United States should be halted, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump said Monday.

The real estate mogul called for the “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”

In a statement, he cited a Center for Security Policy poll he said indicated, “25% of those polled agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad”.

There was previously a large chorus against allowing Syrian refugees entry to the United States with some Republican presidential hopefuls calling for a religious test to prevent Syrian Muslims from entering the country.

But Trump’s call goes one step further as it seeks to bar all Muslims, regardless of nationality, from entry.

“It is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension,” he said. “Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims (sic) of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”

The call follows a mass shooting that killed 14 victims outside of Los Angles, which authorities are investigating as terrorism.

Other Republicans seeking their party’s nomination refuted Trump’s newest policy prescription.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush called his fellow candidate “unhinged”, saying, ‘His ‘policy’ proposals are not serious”.

And New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Trump’s comments are “ridiculous.”

Across the aisle, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic nomination, took to Twitter to voice his opinion. “The U.S. is a strong nation when we stand together. We are weak when we allow racism and xenophobia to divide us. cc: @realDonaldTrump."