Former President Donald Trump on Saturday promised to deport pro-Hamas demonstrators who hold visas in the U.S. if he’s elected president in 2024.
In a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas, Mr. Trump said that if he were president, “the attack on Israel would never, ever have happened” and vowed to deport immigrants who sympathize with Hamas.
“All of the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protest this month, nobody’s ever seen anything like it,” Mr. Trump said. “Come 2025, We will find you and we will deport you.”
He said while he was president, “I kept America safe, I kept Israel safe, and I kept the world safe. The world was a safer place, a much safer place.”
He also criticized the Biden administration for “cuddling up to the killers in Iran,” and said that he will “once again sanction them until their ability to fund terror is absolutely gone.”
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said Mr. Trump is proposing to reinstate a Muslim ban.
“The need to come together against rancid hate is more pressing now than ever, as American Muslims and Arab Americans increasingly find themselves the targets of appalling smears and heartbreaking violence – including the barbaric killing of a 6 year-old child,” Mr. Bates said. “In office, President Biden has taken unprecedented action against Islamophobia, and more will follow. These disgraceful attacks against Arab Americans and the Muslim community are the opposite of what we stand for as a country, and they must be forcefully condemned by all Americans who, like President Biden, believe in human dignity. The spike in Islamophobic incidents is a direct attack on the character of our nation. It’s critical that we give hate no safe harbor.”
In his speech to the RJC, Mr. Trump addressed the victims of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
“To every Israeli and every American touched by these barbaric activities: We love you, we’re with you, we grieve with you, we share your anger and we stand with you 100%,” he said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.