Former Vice President Dick Cheney blasted Donald Trump’s Monday call for a “total and complete shutdown” of all Muslims from entering the U.S., saying it goes against the foundation of religious freedom.
Appearing on “The Hugh Hewitt Show,” Cheney argued that the proposal “goes against everything we stand for and believe in,” adding that his comments follow a “mistaken notion.”
“I think this whole notion that somehow we can just say no more Muslims, just ban a whole religion goes against everything we stand for and believe in,” Cheney told Hewitt. “I mean, religious freedom’s been a very important part of our history and where we came from.”
“A lot people — my ancestors got here because they were Puritans. There wasn’t anyone here when they came. But it’s a mistaken notion,” Cheney added.
Trump has called for a ban on all Muslims entering the U.S. “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”
“Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension,” Trump said in the statement. “Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”
