WASHINGTON – Yesterday GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,” after previously saying the country should consider closing mosques and establishing a database to track Muslims in the U.S.

People For the American Way President Michael Keegan released the following statement:

“Trump’s reckless anti-Muslim bigotry has reached a new low. Shutting out a whole group of people because of their religion sounds a lot more like fascism than like a legitimate policy proposal. It’s despicable, and it’s the opposite of what our country’s values are all about.

“And it’s not just Trump. From Ben Carson’s remarks that he would not support a Muslim president to Ted Cruz’s proposal to welcome Christian refugees – but not Muslim refugees – fleeing violence in Syria, GOP presidential candidates seem increasingly comfortable with overt anti-Muslim sentiment.

“People of all religious backgrounds deserve to feel safe and welcome in our country, one that was founded on the idea of religious freedom. Instead, what we’re seeing so far this election is a GOP field fighting to prove they are the most anti-Muslim candidate. Even for the Tea Party driven GOP, it’s disgraceful and dangerous.”

People For the American Way’s Right Wing Watch monitors and documents the activities of the right-wing movement. For coverage of Trump’s Islamophobic rhetoric and the ongoing work of right-wing anti-Muslim organizations, please visit www.rightwingwatch.org.

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