“That’s our Syrian refugee problem,” it reads. Trump added, “This image says it all.”
The tweet drew both sharp criticism and support in the form of responses, retweets and online comments. The uproar led Mars Inc., the parent company of the manufacturer of Skittles, to issue a statement. Mars tweeted, “Skittles are candy; refugees are people.”
Hillary Clinton’s traveling spokesman, Nick Merrill, retweeted Trump, saying, “This is disgusting.”
The White House announced last week that it wants to increase to 110,000 the number of refugees the U.S. accepts in the next fiscal year. This year, the country has taken in more than 11,000 Syrian refugees.
More than 11 million people — over half of Syria’s population — have fled their homes, according to the latest U.N. figures, with 6.6 million displaced in Syria and 4.8 million seeking refuge abroad.
Donald Trump Sr. has proposed what he called “extreme vetting” of immigrants entering the country, suggesting ideological tests and screening based on religious background.
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