GOP scrambles to distance itself from Trump on Orlando
Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill stood apart from their presumptive presidential nominee yet again – but this time in the aftermath of a major terror attack on the American homeland, an event that historically has brought parties together, not driven them apart.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told reporters Tuesday that a ban on Muslims entering the United States – as presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has proposed – is not in the nation’s interest.
In a speech a few hours later, he reiterated his call for a temporary ban on Muslims coming to the US and said that as president he would “suspend immigration from areas of the world where there’s a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe and our allies”.
“I called for a ban after San Bernardino and was met with great scorn and anger, but now many are saying I was right to do so”, Trump said in the New Hampshire speech Monday, referring to the terror attack in Southern California a year ago carried out by a married Muslim couple who according to law enforcement were “inspired” by foreign terrorist organizations. “I will make you proud of your party and our movement, and that’s what it is, is a movement”.
“There is definitely more backroom shenanigans than we would like, but the hearings are open to the public, C-SPAN records every single debate, you can read every bill online and most importantly – if you don’t like what’s going on you can change it. You can call you representative or you can vote them out”, he said, adding he chose to hold the presser between the Department of Labor and the Capitol to symbolize the contrast. “And people in his community in their community, they know who the people are”. They know that he was bad. “We had death, and destruction”. Orrin Hatch said he had not heard about them and questioned if he had said that. “There will be nothing, absolutely nothing, left”.
‘This is a war with radical Islam. “Muslims are our partners; the vast, vast majority of Muslims in this country and around the world are moderate, they’re peaceful, they’re tolerant”. “It’s a founding principle of this country”. He noted that the House passed legislation to tighten visa restrictions that President Barack Obama signed into law, but that the Senate had blocked another measure that would provide greater security screening. Trump’s unwillingness to wage a traditional campaign is inviting a new round of handwringing from GOP elders, whose worries have only intensified after much-criticized Trump’s reaction to the massacre at an Orlando nightclub this past weekend. Ryan denounced that as “the textbook definition of a racist comment”.
One name is emerging as the saving grace: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has privately told friends he is “intrigued” by the possibility of allowing his name to be put in the ring at the GOP convention as a challenge to Trump, two sources with direct knowledge say. ‘And I think the smarter way to go in all respects is to have a security test, not a religious test’.
The agenda mentions improvements to the immigration system, tightening visa controls and stiffening application and screening procedures for refugees.
The businessman did not specify what countries would be affected or whether the suspension would apply regardless of religion.
“We’ve gone through moments in our history before when we acted out of fear and we came to regret it”, Obama said. But that war “will not be won with bullets and bombs alone”, it continues.
GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of IL said Trump’s comments could be used to radicalize uneducated Muslims.
“If he comes I guess I would hope he would say ‘I want to work with your agenda, ‘” Kinzinger said.