Donald Trump claims banning Muslims from entering US 'not about religion'

Donald Trump defended his call to ban all Muslims from entering the USA, claiming it was not to do with religion, but security.

The GOP frontrunner appeared on The O'Reilly Factor and on ABC's Life with Kelly and Michael on Wednesday to defend his plan for preventing Muslims from entering the US.

He denied insulting Islam and claimed "This is about security. It's not about religion" on the O'Reilly Factor.

He claimed that his temporary ban was to essential in order to overcome this "very, very serious problem" and the threat ISIS posed to the US.

"Maybe it's not politically correct to do it, but somebody had to bring it up. And a lot of people are very thankful I did it."

O'Reilly suggested the ban would be detrimental, damaging relations with moderate Muslim countries such as Jordan and Egypt.

Trump was unperturbed, claiming that his proposed actions were widely supported and necessary. On Life with Kelly and Michael, he insisted that "This has nothing to do with religion. It's about safety."

"We have a president that doesn't have a clue. He doesn't know what's going on. All I'm doing is bringing a situation to the forefront that everybody is talking about and nobody wants to do anything about it."

Trump's proposed ban of Muslims entering the USA has been met with global outrage, including an online petition in the United Kingdom proposing to ban him from entering the country. It reached over 130,000 signatures in less than 24 hours, enough to be read in parliament.

related articles
Cameron joins chorus of outrage over Donald Trump\'s call to ban Muslims from US
Cameron joins chorus of outrage over Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from US

Cameron joins chorus of outrage over Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from US

What a Facebook status can teach us about Islamophobia

What a Facebook status can teach us about Islamophobia

Donald Trump: He\'s not the Messiah, he\'s a very naughty boy
Donald Trump: He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy

Donald Trump: He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy

Petition to ban Donald Trump from UK passes 100,000

Petition to ban Donald Trump from UK passes 100,000

Six facts about Islam in the US
Six facts about Islam in the US

Six facts about Islam in the US

News
Active faith linked to happier marriages and lower divorce rates, study finds
Active faith linked to happier marriages and lower divorce rates, study finds

People who regularly attend church are more likely to report happy marriages, according to a new report examining the relationship between faith and family life.

Indian churches fearing anti-conversion laws tell non-Christians: enter at your own risk
Indian churches fearing anti-conversion laws tell non-Christians: enter at your own risk

Churches in Dhamtari, a town in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, have put up notices warning non-Christians that they enter at their own risk, weeks after a law against religious conversion came into force in the state.

£1k bursaries to help churches develop youth and community mentoring programmes
£1k bursaries to help churches develop youth and community mentoring programmes

Churches across the UK are being offered bursaries to help them establish mentoring programmes aimed at supporting young people and others in their communities.

World Evangelical Alliance celebrates 180th anniversary
World Evangelical Alliance celebrates 180th anniversary

The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has held an online celebration to mark its 180th anniversary. Hundreds of people from more than 22 countries attended, and the event was rebroadcast to accommodate different time zones.