Poll: Wide GOP Support For Trump Muslim Ban Plan
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PLANO (CBS11) - A new Bloomberg Politics poll finds 65% of likely Republican primary voters favor billionaire Donald Trump's idea to temporarily prevent Muslims from entering the United States.
After receiving Republican, Democratic, and worldwide condemnation of his comments, Trump said Wednesday his proposal isn't about religion, but safety.
In Plano, Trump supporter Wayne Richard, a small businessman and entrepreneur, said he agrees with Trump's idea. "He's right, until we have a good vetting process in place and determine they are not jihad-type individuals who are going to bring harm to our country, we do need to shut that down."
Richard and another Trump supporter, Del Parker of Dallas, say the country is at war with radical Islamic terrorism.
Parker says, "We have a problem and to deny we have a problem is putting our heads in the sand where they're just going to be chopped off."
SMU Political Science professor Cal Jillson says Trump's comments won't hurt him in the polls long-term. "No, I don't think it will because the things he's saying resonate with his supporters."
Trump made his comments after one of his Republican rivals, Texas Senator Ted Cruz surpassed him in one poll in Iowa for the first time.
Jillson says Trump wanted to stay in the headlines. "There is a very big element of social and religious conservatives, larger than in almost any other state, who support Trump. He wants to make sure they don't drift away from him."
Richard says Trump won't back down despite all of the criticism. "He recognizes the political correctness in this time period will be detrimental to the health and well-being of our nation."
Trump maintains big leads in the average of polls: nationally and in the first three caucus and primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
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