Donald Trump said he agrees with fellow Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz on a strategy to secure Muslim neighborhoods in the U.S. to prevent the spread of terrorist groups.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked the GOP front-runner late Tuesday if he would support the Texas senator’s new idea to patrol neighborhoods with known Islamic populations:
Our European allies are now seeing what comes of a toxic mix of migrants who have been infiltrated by terrorists and isolated, radical Muslim neighborhoods.
We need to immediately halt the flow of refugees from countries with a significant al Qaida or ISIS presence.
We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.
“I would support that. Yes, 100 percent. I bet you the local police know much more about what’s going on than anybody would understand … they know the gang members. Local police know plenty about the Muslims, too, but the police have been so hurt and so left out and so discouraged by what’s happening,” Trump said, referring to officer-related incidents that have sparked ongoing controversy.
Trump cited the example of Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested Friday outside Brussels. The New York businessman claimed people in that neighborhood knew he was there, but didn’t turn him in because of their shared religion.
Trump also said in light of the Belgium attacks, he would “go further” than waterboarding when investigating suspects in terrorism-related cases.
