A Muslim has "every right to be president and become president," Rep. Peter King said Monday, disagreeing with GOP presidential candidate
Ben Carson's weekend statement that he would not want a Muslim to become president.
"If you believe in the type of Islam which believes in jihad you should not be president," the New York Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" co-host Martha MacCallum, noting that he has "great respect" for Carson. "But there are many, many good Muslims in this country. I've been critical of the Muslim community but I know there are many, many good Muslims."
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"One of our best allies in the world is King Abdullah of Jordan," said King, who is "110 percent Muslim."
Nobody doubts that "terrorism is coming from the Muslim community," King conceded, but at the same time, there are "solid Muslim leaders."
"Here in New York, in the NYPD, some of the most dangerous jobs by the cops are being done by Muslims" working undercover, said King, and the same is true in the FBI.
King told MacCallum that the question, as put to Carson, was probably not worded as well as it could have been, and that he believes that he should have "thrown the question back" at NBC "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd and told him it was a "trick question" as no Muslims are seeking the presidency.
Also, King pointed out that not all Muslims believe Sharia law should be imposed in the United States.
"We're isolating the Muslim community," said King. "We should be trying to find elements in the community that would work with us. They are there."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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