Rep. Peter King said Thursday that U.S. intelligence agencies have to "surveil the Muslim communities, watch them more carefully" in light of the deadly French attacks that killed as many as 80 people and injured more than 100 others.
"We have to forget about hurting people's feelings," the New York Republican told
Megyn Kelly on Fox News. "The fact is there are people out there who want to kill us.
"There are people in the Muslim community. It's a small minority, but they are there.
"If we hold back, it's looked upon as a sign of weakness," King said. "We have to have more surveillance.
"We have to be looking at the Muslim community. We have to be calling on them to make sure they cooperate and step forward."
The attacker drove a 25-ton truck at a high speed through a crowd watching Bastille Day fireworks in the French Riviera city of Nice late on Thursday, officials said.
As many as 80 people were killed and at least 100 others were injured before police fatally shot the driver, officials said. Weapons and grenades were found inside the unmarked truck.
King, who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee, told Kelly that key to the surveillance strategy is those within the Muslim community who are willing to work with law enforcement.
"We have to surveil the community," he said. "We have to have people in the community who are willing to be sources, who are willing to be undercovers — because that's where the threat is coming from.
"That's where the threat is coming from. You're not violating anybody's civil rights. It's just common sense. That's where it's coming from.
"We have to put aside political correctness," King said. "We've got to get the job done — and that's where the threat is coming from."
In a later interview with
Don Lemon on CNN, King slammed Hillary Clinton's reluctance to call the attack what it was — Islamic terrorism.
Clinton only used the words "radical jihadist groups" when asked about the killings on both CNN and Fox News.
"I disagree with Hillary Clinton that it's not important what we call it," King said. "She seemed a little half-hearted, but I don't want to be making politics tonight.
"This is so serious and I would just hope that President Trump or President Clinton, whoever it is, that they realize this is a war that's going to go on for many years.
"We have to be ready to defend ourselves here in the United States and also overseas."
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