Donald Trump's proposal to ban all Muslims from visiting the U.S. was the most discussed moment of his campaign, Fox Business host Maria Bartiroma said at Thursday's GOP debate. She then asked Trump if he wanted to reconsider his proposal. "No," Trump said. "We have to stop with political correctness." He also said that his "many Muslim friends" have thanked him for the proposal, telling him it is time for the U.S. to stop being "the stupid country."
Jeb Bush stepped in. "I hope you'll reconsider," he told Trump, explaining that the Kurds, the most reliable U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State, are Muslim, as are the Sunni Arabs we need for the ISIS fight. Fixing the visa program is needed, Bush added, but "all Muslims? Seriously?" He later reiterated that Trump's Muslim ban is "unhinged" and "big talk." Trump shot back, repeating ""I want security for this country. I want security," and suggesting that in America's Muslim-American community, "there's something going on, and it's bad."
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.
-
Today's political cartoons - February 22, 2025Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - bricking it, I can buy myself flowers, and more
-
5 exclusive cartoons about Trump and Putin negotiating peaceCartoons Artists take on alternative timelines, missing participants, and more
-
The AI arms raceTalking Point The fixation on AI-powered economic growth risks drowning out concerns around the technology which have yet to be resolved
-
Mitch McConnell won't seek reelectionSpeed Read The longest-serving Senate party leader is retiring
-
Trump reportedly wants to take over US Postal ServiceSpeed Read President Trump is making plans to disband the leadership of USPS and absorb the agency into his administration
-
Trump seeks to end New York's congestion pricingSpeed Read The MTA quickly filed a lawsuit to stop the move
-
Trump officials try to reverse DOGE-led firingsSpeed Read Mass firings by Elon Musk's team have included employees working on the H5N1 bird flu epidemic and US nuclear weapons programs
-
Trump blames Ukraine for war after US-Russia talksSpeed Read The US and Russia have agreed to work together on ending the Ukraine war — but President Trump has flipped America's approach
-
Musk's DOGE seeks access to IRS, Social Security filesSpeed Read If cleared, the Department of Government Efficiency would have access to tax returns, bank records and other highly personal information about most Americans
-
Senate confirms RFK Jr. as health secretarySpeed Read The noted vaccine skeptic is now in charge of America's massive public health system
-
Trump lays out plans for broad 'reciprocal' tariffsSpeed Read Tariffs imposed on countries that are deemed to be treating the US unfairly could ignite a global trade war and worsen American inflation
