White House: GOP putting politics above nation’s reputation
Republican presidential candidates are putting politics ahead of the nation’s reputation by making “offensive” comments about Muslims, the White House said Tuesday.
Press secretary Josh Earnest did not refute a journalist who asked whether GOP front-runner Donald Trump has damaged America’s reputation abroad with his proposal to bar Muslims from immigrating to the country.
{mosads}“In general, we have heard from many Republican candidates, not just Mr. Trump, rhetoric that is offensive and divisive and deployed to cynically benefit their political campaigns,” Earnest said.
“They are talking about the kinds of values that frankly should come before someone’s own narrow political ambition.”
Earnest said it’s up to voters to decide whether they want someone like Trump to lead the country.
“These policy decisions are the subject of legitimate political debate, so I’m not suggesting somehow the candidates should be silenced,” the spokesman said. “But I do think that our country’s interests would be better served if those candidates were more committed to ensuring their rhetoric actually reflects the true values of our country.”
President Obama and his allies have become increasingly alarmed about the rhetoric coming from Trump and other Republican presidential candidates in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif.
The president is making the case that the country can confront the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) without demonizing the Muslim community.
Trump said he would temporarily “shut the door” on all Muslims who want to enter the U.S. Other candidates, such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, have said the country should admit only Christian refugees, because Muslims pose too great a threat to national security.
But the White House and Democrats have also fanned the flames sparked by Trump’s comments, knowing they could hobble the GOP’s effort to take back the White House in 2016.
Obama has personally gone after Trump twice in the past week, albeit not by name.
Speaking at a naturalization ceremony Tuesday at the National Archives, Obama called immigration “our oldest tradition” and “part of what makes us exceptional.”
He warned that the country is in danger of “betraying” its values if it turns its back on people coming to the U.S. to flee persecution or pursue economic opportunity.
“In the Syrian seeking refuge today, we should see the Jewish refugee of World War Two,” Obama said.
Earnest last week said that Trump’s proposal “disqualifies” him from serving as president and called on other influential Republicans to pledge to not support him if he is their party’s presidential nominee.
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