President Trump defended his executive order that bars the citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States.
As thousands of protesters were chanting outside of the White House on Sunday afternoon, the president issued this statement chastising the media for characterizing his order as “a Muslim ban.”
“America is a proud nation of immigrants and we will continue to show compassion to those fleeing oppression, but we will do so while protecting our own citizens and border,” Trump said in a statement. “America has always been the land of the free and home of the brave. We will keep it free and keep it safe, as the media knows, but refuses to say.”
“My policy is similar to what President Obama did in 2011 when he banned visas for refugees from Iraq for six months,” he continued.
“The seven countries named in the Executive Order are the same countries previously identified by the Obama administration as sources of terror. To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting. This is not about religion — this is about terror and keeping our country safe. There are over 40 different countries worldwide that are majority Muslim that are not affected by this order. We will again be issuing visas to all countries once we are sure we have reviewed and implemented the most secure policies over the next 90 days. I have tremendous feeling for the people involved in this horrific humanitarian crisis in Syria.
“My first priority will always be to protect and serve our country, but as President I will find ways to help all those who are suffering.”
Shortly after the statement was released, Trump tweeted this from his Twitter account.
The joint statement of former presidential candidates John McCain & Lindsey Graham is wrong – they are sadly weak on immigration. The two…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017
…Senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017
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