Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal expressed his support for President Trump’s executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, saying that he is “exactly right” on the issue, adding that it is a “common sense” decision.
The former presidential candidate insisted that Trump’s move is not aimed at Muslims, but rather focused on national security. The comments come a day after 109 travelers were detained at airports throughout the U.S., including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Washington Dulles International Airport, leading to protests at those locations.
“President Trump is exactly right, and let’s be clear what his policy does — all he’s saying from these seven countries, we’re going to vet folks who want to come into our country and make sure they’re not here to do us harm,” Jindal said. “That’s just common sense.”
“These are seven countries where there’s a significant radical Islamic terrorist threat. It just makes common sense we’d want to make sure these folks wanting to come and kill Americans and inflict terrorist attacks here in the homeland” are screened, Jindal said.
The former governor cited comments he made in a 2015 speech in London, where he said that immigration without assimilation is not immigration, but rather an “invasion.”
Jindal stands as one of the prominant Republicans coming out in support of Trump’s move. It also contrasts with a cadre of GOP senators who have publicly called out or questioned the move, including Sens. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio.
