Most Americans Oppose Ban On Muslims Entering U.S.
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Nearly six in 10 Americans say the U.S. should not temporarily ban Muslims from other countries from entering the U.S.
That's just one of the findings of a new CBS News poll of a random sample of 1,011 adults nationwide.
Earlier this week, Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed that the U.S. temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States.
Fifty eight percent said the US should not temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country, while 36% think the U.S. should
do so.
As expected there were sharp differences by political party. Fifty four percent of Republicans said they would support a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country, while most Democrats and independents (73 percent and 59 percent respectively) oppose that idea.
Two-thirds of Americans say banning Muslims from entering the U.S. would go against the founding principles of this country – majorities across party lines agree on this. However, 53% of those who support banning Muslims from entering the U.S. say such a ban is in keeping with the founding principles of America.
There are mixed views on whether banning Muslims from coming into the U.S would make the country safer from terrorism, but a majority of those who favor such a ban feel it will make the U.S. safer. Forty five percent of Republicans said the temporary ban would make the U.S. as opposed to only 14 percent of Democrats who felt the same way. A majority of Democrats (52 percent) said the temporary ban would have no effect on safety in the country.
Most Republicans (60 percent) would support the federal government keeping a database containing the names of Muslims living in the U.S. Sixty one percent of Democrats oppose the idea.