Donald Trump's spokeswoman on proposed Muslim ban: 'So what? They're Muslim.'


In a heated debate with CNN's S.E. Cupp over the morality and legality of Donald Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the U.S., Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson blurted out a startling defense: "So what? They're Muslim."
Cupp, a conservative commentator, had already eviscerated Trump's plan as being both impossible to carry out and "morally repulsive." Pierson argued that her boss' ideas were actually "nothing new." Cupp replied, "There really is something new to the idea of banning an entire religious group from entering the country. Peddling this un-conservative, un-American, unconstitutional garbage has got to stop."
When Pierson responded that "never in United States history have we allowed insurgents to come across these borders," Cupp fired back, "No one's talking about allowing insurgents. You're talking about not allowing regular Muslims. That's what you're talking about."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Yes, from Arab nations," Pierson said. "You know what? So what. They're Muslim."
"So what?" Cupp replied, clearly shocked by Pierson's comment. "That's not the America we live in, Katrina."
Watch it unfold, below. Jeva Lange
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?
Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
Crossword: August 3, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Sudoku medium: August 3, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein