Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is asserting that countries like France that he says are compromised by terrorism may be subjected to the “extreme vetting” he proposes as a deterrent to attacks in the US.
When asked if his proposal might lead to a point when not a lot of people from overseas are allowed into the US, Trump said, “Maybe we get to that point” and added, “We have to be smart and we have to be vigilant and we have to be strong.”
Trump also defended Fox News founder Roger Ailes, who left the network amid accusations of sexual harassment; criticised rival Hillary Clinton’s newly named running mate, Sen Tim Kaine, for accepting gifts while Virginia’s governor; dismissed descriptions of his nomination acceptance speech as “dark,” instead calling it “optimistic”; and expressed disapproval of David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader who is seeking a Senate seat from Louisiana.
For months Trump has called for a temporary ban on foreign Muslims seeking to enter the United States and criticised the Obama administration for continuing to admit refugees from Syria.
In his speech at the Republican National Convention, he said the US “must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place”, notably leaving out any reference to Muslims or to Syria, Iraq and other Mideast nations.
In a recent interview, Trump noted “specific problems” in Germany and France, both countries have been rocked by fatal attacks in public places in recent weeks, and Meet the Press host Chuck Todd asked if his proposal would limit immigration from France. “They’ve been compromised by terrorism,” Todd said.
To this Trump replied, “They have totally been. And you know why? It’s their own fault. Because they allowed people to come into their territory.” “We have to have tough, we’re going to have tough standards. ... If a person can’t prove what they have to be able to prove, they’re not coming into this country”, he added.
During his interview, Trump also rejected suggestions that “his comments on NATO members being required to pay their share in order to get the benefits and protection afforded by the treaty were a mistake”.
He also took issue with descriptions of his convention speech earlier in the week as “dark.” “It was an optimistic speech,” Trump said.
Referring to his mention of crime as well as shootings and terrorist attacks both here and overseas, he said, “Sure, I talk about the problems, but we’re going to solve the problems on our own, not with anyone’s help”.