Monday was a big day for Trump in Iowa.
He scored the endorsement of Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and waded into the debate over whether the U.S. should accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza. The former president vowed to reject accepting refugees from the Palestinian territory, which has been heavily hit by Israel in the country’s war against Hamas.
“We aren’t bringing in anyone from Gaza or Syria or Somalia or Yemen, or Libya, or anywhere else that threatens our security,” Trump said, according to prepared remarks.
“Next, we will implement strong ideological screening for ALL immigrants to the United States,” he added.
Trump’s comments follow remarks by DeSantis, who said over the weekend that the U.S. should not accept refugees from Gaza. In a CNN interview on Sunday, Haley was critical of other nations in the region, including Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and Lebanon for not taking in Palestinian refugees. Scott has said the U.S. should work with nations in the region to ensure safe passage for Palestinian refugees.
The Hill’s Julia Manchester has more on the divisions emerging over the conflict in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Haley is gaining ground on DeSantis, rising in both state and national polls. A recent Fox News poll showed Haley growing her support to 10 percent, while DeSantis came in at 13 percent. Haley surpassed DeSantis in a New Hampshire poll, receiving 19 percent support to DeSantis’s 10 percent. But in Iowa, DeSantis outpaces Haley by about 9 percent – and Trump commands the lead with 50 percent support, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Trump also made news on Monday after Judge Tanya Chutkan slapped a narrow a gag order barring former President Trump from attacking future witnesses in his election interference case, as well as prosecutors, court staff and their families in the Jan. 6 federal case.
The Trump campaign hit back at the move in a statement on Monday, likening it to “an absolute abomination and another partisan knife stuck in the heart of our Democracy.”
