Donald Trump says his plan to keep radical Islamic jihadists from America isn't a "rollback" of his
controversial ban on Muslims — it's "an expansion" of the exclusion.
In an interview aired Sunday on NBC News'
"Meet the Press,"
Trump expanded on his
"extreme vetting" plan to restrict immigration from areas where there's high levels of terrorism.
"I actually don't think it's a rollback," he tells host Chuck Todd. "In fact, you could say it's an expansion. I'm looking now at territory."
"People were so upset when I used the word Muslim. Oh, you can't use the word Muslim. Remember this. And I'm okay with that because I'm talking territory instead of Muslim."
Trump explained that by territories, he means countries that have been compromised. When asked if this might include France and Germany he said, yes, those countries have indeed been compromised and that 'extreme vetting' procedures are needed.
"But just remember this," Trump added. "Our Constitution is great. But it doesn't necessarily give us the right to commit suicide, okay? Now, we have a religious, you know, everybody wants to be protected. And that's great. And that's the wonderful part of our Constitution. I view it differently."
He also said he would stop Syrian migration to the United States, but noted the we would "build safe havens" in Syria for those needing refuge.
"We, the United States, we'll get Gulf States to pay for it, because we right now, we're going to have $21 trillion very soon, trillion, in debt," he said,
The Hill reports in excerpts released ahead of the Sunday news program.
"We will do safe havens and safe zones in Syria and we will get nations that are so wealthy that are not doing anything. They're not doing much. They have nothing but money."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.