Before he died May 4 from complications stemming from pancreatic cancer and a stroke, former GOP Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah asked his wife, Joyce, and son, Jim, if there were any Muslims in his hospital. If so, he wanted to "go up to every single one of them to thank them for being in this country, and apologize to them on behalf of the Republican Party for Donald Trump."
Joyce and Jim Bennett shared this story with The Daily Beast, as well as other tales involving his disgust with "Donald Trump's xenophobia" and proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States. Bob Bennett did not end up meeting with Muslims in the hospital, but his wife said while they were at the airport over Christmas, he "would go to people with the hijab [on] and tell them he was glad they were in America and they were welcome here. He wanted to apologize on behalf of the Republican Party." Jim Bennett also said as a Mormon, his father "recognized the parallel between the Mormon experience and the Muslim experience," and "wanted to see these people treated with kindness and not ostracized."
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