Donald Trump Weakens Stance on Muslim Immigration Ban
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Story highlights:
Trump emphasizes the temporary nature of the ban
It's the latest lightning-speed evolution for Trump
Washington (CNN) - Donald Trump, who issued a December press release "calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," said Wednesday such a ban "hasn't been called for yet" and it was "only a suggestion."
It's the latest lightning-speed evolution for the real estate tycoon as he pivots from the provocateur who upended the Republican primary to a general election candidate preparing to square off with likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
"We have a serious problem, and it's a temporary ban – it hasn't been called for yet, nobody's done it, this is just a suggestion until we find out what's going on," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee told Fox News Radio's Brian Kilmeade Wednesday.
But when Trump first introduced the proposed ban back in December he explicitly said in both a speech and in a press release: "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."
'Temporary'
Trump on Wednesday also put a new emphasis on the temporary nature of his proposed ban in an interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren.
"No, it was never meant to be – I mean that's why it was temporary," he said, when asked if he would consider backing off the controversial ban.
"Sure I'd back off on it. I'd like to back off on it as soon as possible, because frankly, I'd like to see something happen. But we have to be vigilant," he said. "There is a radical Islamic terrorism problem that our president doesn't even want to talk about."
Trump was also pressed by Van Susteren on what kind of exceptions he might make to the "total and complete shutdown" he originally proposed. He pointed to Muslim military service members, while continuing to stress his desire to see the ban lifted once some sort of progress was made in the fight against terror.
"(Muslim military members) would all come back," he said. "I mean we have exceptions, and again, it's temporary, and ultimately it's my aim to have it lifted. Right now there is no ban. But I'd like to see – there has to be an idea, there has to be something."
As the presumptive GOP nominee explained, "Ideally you wouldn't have the ban for very long. I mean, we just have to find out what's happening."