Trump: I Would ‘Strongly Consider’ Shutting Down Mosques If Necessary

11.16.2015 | News | Daily Surge |

GOP front-runner Donald Trump said Monday that he’d hate to close down radical mosques in the United States if he were president, but it is something that he would “strongly consider.”

“Is there something that you would do here in the homeland that you think is not being done now to protect United States citizens?” Chris Jansing asked Trump during the New York billionaire’s appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“Well, you’re going to have to watch and study the mosques because a lot of talk is going on at the mosques. And from what I heard in the old days, meaning a while ago, we had great surveillance going on in and around mosques in New York City, and I understand our mayor totally cut that out,” Trump said. “He totally cut out. I don’t know if you’ve brought that up and I’m not sure it’s a fact. But I heard that under the old regime, we had tremendous surveillance going on in and around the mosques of New York City. And that’s been totally cut out.”

Host Joe Scarborough pointed out that the French government there has been some talk about shutting down mosques following the series of terror attacks on Friday in Paris, and Trump said it is a “mistake” that New York City is no longer watching its mosques.

“I would hate to do it but it’s something that you’re going to have to strongly consider because some of the ideas and some of the hatred, the absolute hatred is coming from these areas,” Trump replied. “New York City as an example. We had a group of people from what I understand that really knew what they were doing, that were really studying the situation and they’re not doing that anymore. Under the new mayor they are not doing that anymore and I think that’s a mistake. It’s something that many people, not me, it’s something that many people are considering and many people are going to do.”

Jansing asked the real estate magnate if had concern about the backlash shutting mosques down would create and “hatred that can breed”.

“There is already hatred. The hatred is incredible. It’s embedded, hatred is beyond belief. The hatred is greater than anybody understand. And it’s already there,” Trump said. “Do you think they think we’re great people? It’s already there. It’s a very, very sad situation. And I know so many people, Muslims, who are such great people, and they are being so badly tarnished by what’s happening now. It’s a shame. “

Trump said that if he were president, “we probably wouldn’t be [having] the problem we are right now,” because ISIS-controlled oil sites that are financing the insurgents would already have been taken out with bombs.