Trump: A ‘certain segment’ of Muslims are a ‘problem’
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday said that while many Muslims are “phenomenal” people, some of them are a “problem” for America.
Asked about an incident at a town hall event in September during which a Trump supporter called President Obama a Muslim, Trump told CNN’s Don Lemon he would not change how he handled the situation.
“He said Muslims are a problem, OK? That’s what he said, OK? Are they a problem? You tell me,” the business mogul said.
{mosads}”I don’t see the people … that knocked down the World Trade Center going back to Sweden. OK? So he said Muslims are a problem,” he continued.
“I think a certain segment are certainly a problem,” Trump added. ”Unless you want to be so politically correct where you want me to say, ‘Oh, absolutely not.’ ”
Asked by Lemon whether he was homophobic, Trump said he wasn’t and added, “I think that I’m a very nice person.”
The GOP front-runner also told CNN he believes Russia is sincere in claiming they want to target the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and that the U.S. shouldn’t interfere with Russian airstrikes in Syria.
“If Russia wants to go in and if Russia want to fight — in particular ISIS, and they do, and one of the reasons they do is because they don’t want ISIS coming into their country and that’s going to be the next step. So that’s why they’re there,” he said. “I think they will be fighting ISIS.”
Russia is tightly allied with Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom the U.S. opposes. American officials worry that Russia will target U.S.-supported anti-Assad groups in Syria.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday that some Russian airstrikes appeared to be in places “where ISIL in fact are not present.”
Trump said the U.S. should not act as the “policemen of the world” and faulted President Obama for Russia’s decision to act in Syria.
“They don’t respect our president. They really don’t respect us anymore. And that’s why they’re doing this,” the businessman said.
Trump, who had said at a campaign event earlier Wednesday that he would send Syrian refugees out of the U.S. if elected president, expanded to CNN on why he feels that way.
“We have no idea who they are. We have no idea where they come from. And I’m just telling you right now, they may come in, through the weakness of Obama, but they’re going out if I become president,” he said.
“They will not stay here. They are going back to Syria, whether it’s safe zones or whatever.”
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