Donald Trump's Shifting Positions on Muslim Ban
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Donald Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States has been a central issue of his campaign -- but he has described the ban differently in the weeks since the mass shooting in Orlando.
His spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, told CNN Saturday that Trump supports barring only Muslims from "terror states," not all Muslims.
Trump even indicated that the ban is not ironclad, telling CNN in a brief interview on Saturday he would consider allowing Muslims from states with heavy terrorist activity to enter the US, as long as they are "vetted strongly."
Days after two shooters killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, Trump announced the controversial policy, calling for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."
His proposal was fiercely criticized from all corners of the political spectrum, but Trump did not deviate from his policy.
Instead, he continued to double down in subsequent months and weeks at rallies and in interviews, even telling CNN's Anderson Cooper in March that he believed "Islam hates us."
