Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” the Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson said Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s call to ban Muslims from entering the Untied States is “irresponsible, probably illegal, unconstitutional and contrary to international law, un-American, and will actually hurt our efforts at homeland security.”
Host Andrea Mitchell said, “Let me point out to viewers, you worked at Pentagon, you were a Pentagon official, background in national security. You have not until now spoken out about anything going on in this political campaign. You have avoided responding to Trump’s comments about immigration, about Hispanic Americans, you even avoided commenting last night when pressed. Overnight you’ve been thinking more importantly about this?”
Johnson said, “Andrea, you are correct. As the secretary of Homeland Security, I have avoided responding to the political season and what candidates have said running for president. However, I believe that it’s the responsibility of those of us in national security and homeland security when a leading candidate for office proposes something that is irresponsible, probably illegal, unconstitutional and contrary to international law, un-American, and will actually hurt our efforts at homeland security and national security, we have to speak out. So we’re in an age right now that involves terrorists-inspired as well as terrorists-directed attack. The Islamic state has targeted the Muslim community. So it is all the more important that we reach out and build bridges to American Muslims, and American Muslim communities. We’ve been doing a lot of this lately. And it’s important that we continue to do that working with the Muslim community, not driving them away, not vilifying them, not driving them into the shadows is absolutely critical to our national security efforts. So, those of us in government have to speak out about this proposal, this idea.”
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