Obama rips Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz's Christians-only refugee remarks as 'shameful'

US President Barack Obama speaking at a press conference following the G20 Summit
(Image credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

In a speech Monday closing the G20 summit in Turkey, President Obama criticized the Republican presidential candidates who have said they want to close U.S. borders to Syrian refugees, unless they are Christian.

"When I hear folks say that maybe we should just admit the Christians but not the Muslims, when I hear political leaders suggesting there should be a religious test for which a person fleeing from a war-torn country is admitted... that's shameful. That's not American. That's not who we are," he said.

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Lauren Hansen

Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.