Donald Trump defends his criticism of Muslims: 'I was right, I have been right, and I am right'

Donald Trump renewed his demand for a ban on Muslims from entering the United States on Monday, telling Good Morning America, "We have to have a ban on people coming in from Syria."

The Orlando shooter was born in New York. When this was pointed out to Trump, he explained that "we have many people coming in whose hate is equal to his."

Trump was also confronted about what many believed was a self-congratulatory tweet on Sunday after the shooting, when Trump said he "appreciate[d] the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

"I've been getting thousands and thousands of tweets and phone calls and letters telling me I'm right," Trump told Good Morning America. "The last thing I want is congratulations. I was right, I have been right, and I am right."

Trump also accused Muslims of knowing who would-be attackers are, telling the hosts of Fox & Friends on Monday that "there are many, many people, thousands of people already in our country that are sick with hate. And people that are around him, Muslims know who they are, largely. They know who they are. They have to turn them in. They know who they are. They see them."