U.S. GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters Monday night that America should “shut down” the entry of Muslims to the country until authorities can get control of the security situation.
“We need a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States while we figure out what the hell is going on,” he said, triggering applause and shouts of approval in response.
The other GOP candidates quickly distanced themselves from Trump’s remarks, as did Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and her competitor, Bernie Sanders.
Trump’s remarks followed last week’s massacre in San Bernardino by a husband-and-wife terrorist team inspired by Da’esh (ISIS).
The wife, Tashfeen Malik, had pledged loyalty to Da’esh prior to the attack which she carried out with her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook.
As the investigation into “hundreds of pieces of evidence” and witness interviews by the FBI following the bloodbath continues, it has become known that the observant Muslim couple became radicalized long before Malik entered the United States as Farook’s fiance.
CNN reported early Tuesday morning that Malik apparently never appeared for the personal interview which is required in order to receive the fiance visa under which she entered the United States from Saudi Arabia. The status of documents which should have been filled out and signed at that interview is not clear; CNN reported that some of those documents were apparently missing, and yet Malik had a visa to enter the country.
The couple had been practicing target shooting just days before the attack as well.