Trump: Profile People that ‘Look Suspicious I Didn’t Say They Were Muslims’

On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “O’Reilly Factor,” Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump stated of his proposal for law enforcement to engage in profiling, “I’m saying you’re going to profile people that maybe look suspicious. I didn’t say they were Muslims.”

Trump was asked, “You want to profile Arab or Muslim men. How would that work?” He answered, “Well, we have no choice. Look, Israel does it, and Israel does it very successfully.”

When asked what he would do, Trump stated, “If we see somebody that we think there could be a problem, at airports and other places, you talk to them and you see what’s going on.”

Later, he was asked, “When you say that you’re going it profile certain Muslims, are you ever worried that the peaceful Muslims…will be the victim of backlash, the victim of people just lumping everybody into the terror jar?”

Trump responded, “Well, first of all, I never said the term ‘Muslim.’ You did. You told me Muslims. I didn’t say that. I’m saying you’re going to profile people that maybe look suspicious. I didn’t say they were Muslims.”

When asked, “How do they look suspicious?” He responded, “I don’t know. You’re going to — these are experts. That’s what they do. They profile. You go to Israel, and they should study it because Israel has done a phenomenal job at this. they profile. they are not happy about it but they do it. people aren’t complaining about it but we have to profile.

He further stated, “I’m not using the term ‘Muslim.’ I’m saying you’re going to have to profile.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett