U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the United States was met with outrage and harsh criticism, while many were quick to compare him to Adolf Hitler, members of the Islamic State group, and fictional character Lord Voldemort.
During a campaign rally on Monday, Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”
“Our country cannot be the victim of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad and have no sense of reason or respect for human life,” Trump said.
In reaction to Trump’s proposal, the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) said “Donald Trump sounds more like a leader of a lynch mob than a great nation like ours.”
READ MORE: Florida mayor bans Trump after Trump calls for Muslim ban
“He and others are playing into the hands of ISIS. This is exactly what ISIS wants from Americans to turn against each other,” Nihad Awad, executive director of CAIR, said at a press conference.
Senators and other presidential candidates slammed Trump for his remarks, calling him “downright dangerous” and “demonizing.”
Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney lashed out at Trump during an interview on a conservative radio show.
“I think this whole notion that somehow we can just say no more Muslims, just ban a whole religion, goes against everything we stand for and believe in,” Cheney said. “I mean, religious freedom has been a very important part of our history and where we came from.”
Meanwhile, Jeb Bush called Trump “unhinged,” while Hillary Clinton said Trump’s statement was “reprehensible, prejudiced and divisive.”
Bernie Sanders had similar remarks.
Many were quick to draw comparisons of Trump to Hitler. Here’s the front page of the Philadelphia Daily News.
WATCH: ‘He’s taken a page from the playbook of Hitler’: mayor of Philadelphia on Trump’s Muslim comments
“The New Furor,” the headline reads.
Author of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling called Trump worse than Lord Voldemort, Potter’s archenemy.
Here’s a look at some other reactions:
However, a video of Trump’s statement during his rally in North Carolina was posted to the Republican’s official Facebook page Monday night and has over 52,000 “Likes.”
His words were met with loud cheers and applause at the rally, while many showed support on Facebook.
“From here to the White House all the way,” an apparent Trump supporter wrote.
“Self-funded and honest to the people. Trump 2016!,” reads another comment.
WATCH: Donald Trump engages in heated debate on ‘Morning Joe’ over plan to ban all Muslims
“People who are attacking Trump need to explain their opposition to Trump’s position to the families of the 14 dead citizens in California,” reads another comment, referring to last week’s deadly attack in San Bernardino. “If Trump’s policies had been in place, the shooters could not have gotten in (or back in) the country and the dead citizens would be alive today. “
On Tuesday, Trump seemed unfazed by the criticism.
Trump told ABC’s Good Morning America that banning Muslims is warranted because the U.S. is essentially at war with Muslim extremists who have launched attacks, including last week’s mass shootings in San Bernardino, California, that killed 14.
“We are now at war,” Trump said, adding: “We have a president who doesn’t want to say that.”
–with a file from The Associated Press
Comments