Donald Trump is attempting to clarify his support for a national database that tracks Muslim Americans after facing strong backlash from fellow presidential candidates and leaders in both major parties.
The Republican presidential hopeful took to Twitter Friday to say he was not behind the initial idea to create a registry for Muslims in the U.S.
I didn’t suggest a database-a reporter did. We must defeat Islamic terrorism & have surveillance, including a watch list, to protect America
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2015
Less than 24 hours prior
Less than 24 hours prior, however, Trump told NBC News he would “certainly implement” a database aimed at tracking the activities of Muslims visiting and living in America.
“Absolutely” he told the network between a town hall forum and campaign rally in Iowa. “There should be a lot of systems. Beyond database, we should have a lot of systems and today you can do it.”
Members of Trump’s own party have since taken shots at the candidate’s proposals, describing them as “wrong” and misguided.
“You talk about internment, you talk about closing mosques, you talk about registering people. That’s just wrong. I don’t care about campaigns,” former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Friday on CNBC.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who’s been an ally of Trump’s on immigration and has largely refrained from publicly bashing the billionaire, told members of the press during a campaign stop in Iowa he’s “not a fan of government registries of American citizens.”
“The First Amendment protects religious liberty and I’ve spent the past several decades defending the religious liberty of every American,” Cruz said Friday.
Trump’s Democratic opponents have criticized his refusal to rule out the database idea as well.
This is shocking rhetoric. It should be denounced by all seeking to lead this country. -H https://t.co/qs2TJI5spu
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 20, 2015
On Thursday, the Democratic National Committee sent an email to reporters with a response to Trump from DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
“Donald Trump’s openness to special identifications and a database for Muslim-Americans is beyond shameful, embodies the exclusionary culture of today’s Republican Party and is a dangerous mindset our Greatest Generation fought and died to defeat seven decades ago,” she said in the statement.
Trump also defended the database idea at a press conference Thursday evening.
“I’m not the only one talking about it,” he reportedly said. “There’s tremendous hatred coming out and you know what, radical Islamic terrorism is a fact.”
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh defended Trump’s comments on the hypothetical database Friday, telling his listeners “Trump has not suggested it” and accusing several media outlets of misinterpreting the GOP hopeful.
“It’s a Journalism 101 trick. It’s right out of the manual they teach you at the first year of journalism school in how to destroy political opponents or powerful people you don’t like. It’s that common a technique,” Limbaugh said.
“He has not confirmed a database. He has not confirmed registration of Muslims. He’s changed the question,” he added.
