President Trump on Wednesday will host his administration's first iftar dinner, the evening meal marking the end of each day's fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The White House confirmed the plan to Politico for a Saturday evening report but would not share a guest list.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all hosted iftar dinners, but Trump declined to do so in 2017. The decision was a further point of tension in his administration's relationship to the Muslim community.
On the campaign trail, Trump called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." He said the U.S. should "strongly consider" shutting down mosques and did not reject the suggestion of a national Muslim database.
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