Donald Trump's spokeswoman struggles to explain the state of proposed Muslim ban


Over the last two weeks, Donald Trump has made a rhetorical shift in his proposal to temporarily ban all Muslims from entering the U.S., a policy he unveiled in December after the San Bernardino shooting. After the Orlando nightclub shooting, Trump gave a scripted speech in which he said he "will suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe, or our allies." In Scotland over the weekend, Trump said he "would limit specific terrorist countries, and we know who those terrorist countries are," then added later that when "you have a country that's loaded up with terrorism, we don't want the people coming in until they're very strongly vetted."
So is Trump's policy now that people of any religion from unspecified "terror states" will be banned, or only those who can't be "strongly vetted," or is it still all Muslims, with some exceptions? Trump is preparing a policy memo to clarify the state of his Muslim ban, but spokeswoman Hope Hicks told The Associated Press on Monday that Trump "has been very clear," and it's the media that has "tried to cause confusion."
Another spokeswoman, Katrina Pierson, tried to clarify Trump's policy on Monday to CNN's Brianna Keilar. "There has been no change," she said. Trump "still does not want to allow individuals to come into this country who cannot be vetted." "Individuals or Muslims?" Keilar asked. "Well, it doesn't really matter where you're coming from," Pierson said, reiterating that Trump had added "terrorist nations" to his policy. Keilar pointed out that Paris and Belgium have suffered attacks by Belgian and French citizens. "That's the point," Pierson said.
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.
You can also watch below to see Keilar explain the long vetting process for refugees being settled in the U.S., and Pierson having none of it. Peter Weber
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Five key questions about the Gaza peace deal
The Explainer Many ‘unresolved hurdles’ remain before Donald Trump’s 20-point plan can get the go-ahead
-
See the Northern Lights from these bucket list destinations
The Week Recommends The dazzling displays can be spotted across Iceland, Sweden and parts of Canada
-
Sudoku hard: October 7, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot