Administration

Trump pushes border wall, travel ban after Egyptian mosque attack

President Trump on Friday revived his calls for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and a travel ban targeting certain countries after an attack on a mosque in Egypt left at least 235 people dead. 

In a tweet announcing an upcoming phone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Trump lamented the terrorist attack on the al-Rawdah mosque in the northern Sinai Peninsula, and said that the U.S. would have to “get TOUGHER and SMARTER” in dealing with terrorism.

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No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, though an Islamic State affiliate is known to operate in the area.

Trump has vowed since the beginning of his presidential campaign in 2015 to build a massive wall between the U.S. and Mexico as a way to prevent criminals from entering the U.S. 

In his first days in office, Trump authorized construction of the wall, though has yet to obtain the funding from Congress needed for the massive project. 

Trump has also repeatedly sought to bar individuals from certain countries from entering the U.S., though his executive orders on the matter have repeatedly faced hurdles in court. 

Egypt is not among the countries listed on the ban.