White House says Trump's Muslim comments disqualify him for president

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Trump's campaign had a "dustbin of history" quality to it and said his comments were offensive and toxic.

By REUTERS
Updated: JANUARY 16, 2020 15:38
White House reacts to Donald Trump
The White House on Tuesday said Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's call for the United States to ban Muslims from entering the country disqualified him from becoming president and called on Republicans to reject him immediately.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Trump's campaign had a "dustbin of history" quality to it and said his comments were offensive and toxic.
"The Trump campaign, for months now, has had a dustbin of history-like quality to it, from the vacuous sloganeering to the outright lies to even the fake hair, the whole carnival barker routine that we've seen for some time now," Earnest told reporters.
Earnest said other Republican presidential candidates, who have pledged to support the person who eventually wins their party's nomination, should disavow Trump "right now."
"I know that each of the Republican candidates has already taken an oath pledging to support Donald Trump for president of the United States if he wins the nomination, but the fact is, the first thing a president does when he or she takes the oath of office is to swear an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. And the fact is that what Donald Trump said yesterday disqualifies him from serving as president, and for Republican candidates for president to stand by their pledge to support Mr. Trump, that in and of itself is disqualifying," Earnest said.
On Monday, Trump called for blocking Muslims, including would-be immigrants, students, tourists and other visitors, from entering the country following last week's California shooting spree by two Muslims who authorities said were radicalized.
It was the most dramatic response by a presidential candidate following the San Bernardino, California, rampage, even as other Republicans have called for a suspension of President Barack Obama's plan to allow in some refugees from Syria.