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

Trump campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson — (Image credit: Screenshot/CNN)

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."

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"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

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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.