President Obama Swipes at Donald Trump in Ramadan Statement
The president welcomes immigrants despite "voices that seek to divide."
— -- President Barack Obama took a veiled swipe at Donald Trump on Sunday in a statement marking the start of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.
Without mentioning the presumptive GOP nominee by name, the president reaffirmed his commitment to welcoming immigrants and refugees, despite “voices that seek to divide us.”
“I stand firmly with Muslim American communities in rejection of the voices that seek to divide us or limit our religious freedoms or civil rights,” Obama said. “I stand committed to safeguarding the civil rights of all Americans, no matter their religion or appearance.”
He added, “We will continue to welcome immigrants and refugees into our nation, including those who are Muslim.”
Trump doubled down on his call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the United States, in an interview Sunday with CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“I’m not backing down,” he said. “We have to do something. We have a problem in this country. We have a radical Islamic terrorism problem in this country and, by the way, throughout the world, throughout the world. It’s a problem.”
Asked whether a Muslim judge could be biased against him because of his proposed ban, Trump replied, “It’s possible, yes.” He has since called his proposal a “suggestion.”