During a segment on CNN this Sunday, anchor Poppy Harlow fact-checked Trump supporter and former U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) when he gave some misleading answers regarding President Trump‘s Muslim ban.
“What data can you point to that justifies that these seven nations have a tie to U.S. terror attacks or a higher incidence of bringing terror to this country?” Harlow asked.
“I think maybe the idea that I would say, the evidence is that the countries themselves don’t really have a standard that would preclude enemies of the United States from emigrating here,” Kingston said. “These are not countries that are known to love the United States of America.”
“So you say these are not countries that love the United States and therefore this is justified. So, what about Russia?” Harlow asked.
“Well, I think in Russia — you know, there’s a lot of other Islamic countries and other countries that aren’t always fond of America, but I don’t think you have necessarily the concerns and the vigilance that you need if you’re talking about Sudan.”
Harlow then relayed the fact that the vetting process for immigrants is already extremely stringent, making the ability to get into the U.S. “very hard.”
“Congressman, can you point to a single terrorist attack in this country that was carried out by a Syrian refugee?” she said.
“I think you could look at DHS records and see that refugees in general have often been the cloak under which terrorists do move from country to country,” Kingston said. “And we do not know who’s coming in to our country.”
“But Congressman, I asked if you could point to an event that you feel justifies this ban, that has endangered or killed American people,” she pressed.
“Poppy, let me point to it, Ft. Hood, Orlando, San Bernardino, and terror attacks around the world,” Kingston said, to which Harlow pointed out that the Orlando and San Bernardino attackers were neither refugees nor Syrians.
“Because you’re not letting me finish the sentence,” Kingston said, looking visibly frustrated while growing more incoherent. “All of these security — the terrorist attacks have to do with who’s coming in, how long have they been there, where they’re being radicalized and what’s happening with this order is it’s part of a greater security goal…”
“Congressman, you’re talking about American citizens,” Harlow said. “I want to correct this for our viewers.”
She then reiterated the fact that the Ft. Hood shooter was born in Arlington, Virginia, the San Bernardino shooter was born in Illinois and the shooter in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub massacre was born in New York.
“How is that justification?” she said.
Watch the video below:
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