Appearing as a panel member on Monday's New Day on CNN, during a discussion of the possibility that GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump's proposed immigration restrictions to prevent Muslim terrorists from entering the country could effect immigration from European countries, CNN political analyst David Gregory tried to undermine the idea by bringing up anti-Semitic State Department officials from the 1940s who lobbied against allowing German Jews to immigrate into the U.S., resulting in more Holocaust victims who otherwise could have been saved.
It was not mentioned that, in the same NBC Meet the Press interview that was cited for the CNN discussion, Trump promised to help set up safe havens for Syrian refugees rather than just abandon them to Muslim extremists.
At about 5:26 a.m. ET, CNN co-host Alisyn Camerota brought up the topic:
Let's talk about something else that happened this weekend, and that is, Donald Trump went on Meet the Press, and he explained the new iteration of his Muslim ban. Some people felt that he was trying to make it more narrow. He said it's actually an expansion of what he first said about a total and complete ban of Muslims coming to the U.S. So listen to how he explained it.
Then played a soundbite of Trump:
I actually don't think it's a pullback. In fact, you could say it's an expansion. I'm looking now at territories. People were so upset when I used the word "Muslim." "Oh, you can't use the word 'Muslim.'" Remember this -- and I'm okay with that because I'm talking territory instead of Muslim. But just remember this: Our Constitution is great, but it doesn't necessarily give us the right to commit suicide, okay?
Camerota then added: "Okay, so now it's about any country compromised by terrorism, which people have pointed out means France. It means, you know, Britain." After CNN's Maeve Reston injected, "Us," Camerota continued: "It means Germany. It means us."
Gregory then jumped in to recall:
Can I just point out a historical fact? During World War II, anti-Semites in the State Department -- particularly those who were in charge of immigration to the United States -- specifically told Roosevelt, "Don't let the Jews come in from Germany." Why? "Because Hitler is salting these immigrants with spies."
He added:
And, ultimately, the U.S. government prohibited Jews from coming in. Many more Jews were murdered than would have been murdered otherwise. So it's really useful to bear history in mind when we look at existing protocols to screen for immigrants and these kind of extra curbs on legal immigration.
Not mentioned by the CNN panel was that in the same Meet the Press interview Trump also talked about providing safe havens for Syrian refugees:
We will help them and we will build safe havens over in Syria and we will get Gulf States ... We, the United States, will get Gulf States to pay for it because we have right now, we're going to have $21 trillion very soon -- trillion -- in debt. We will do safe havens and safe zones in Syria, and we will get nations that are so wealthy that are not doing anything, they're not doing much. They have nothing but money, and you know who I'm talking about, the Gulf States. And we will get them to pay for it. We would lead it.
After Gregory was done, co-host Chris Cuomo then chimed in to further try to discredit Trump on the issue:
Also, that's what scares some people about the "America First" logo, right? It makes perfect sense in logic, but within the historical context, that was the nativist sentiment that led to some of these policies. But we know what's going on here. This is Donald Trump trying to get away from the word "Muslim," but still seem strong.
And what he's done is he overreached, Phil, right? And now he's saying, "It's not just about Muslims. It's about anybody." And now, what he's going to get caught in is it's limitless. It could be anyone. It could be us. If we travel abroad, if the U.S. has been compromised by terror, who is, can we not return?
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Monday, July 25, New Day on CNN:
5:26 a.m. ET
ALISYN CAMEROTA: Let's talk about something else that happened this weekend, and that is, Donald Trump went on Meet the Press, and he explained the new iteration of his Muslim ban. Some people felt that he was trying to make it more narrow. He said it's actually an expansion of what he first said about a total and complete ban of Muslims coming to the U.S. So listen to how he explained it.
DONALD TRUMP, FROM NBC'S MEET THE PRESS: I actually don't think it's a pullback. In fact, you could say it's an expansion. I'm looking now at territories. People were so upset when I used the word "Muslim." "Oh, you can't use the word 'Muslim.'" Remember this -- and I'm okay with that because I'm talking territory instead of Muslims. But just remember this: Our Constitution is great, but it doesn't necessarily give us the right to commit suicide, okay?
CAMEROTA: Okay, so now it's about any country compromised-
DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right.
CAMEROTA: -by terrorism, which people have pointed out means France. It means, you know, Britain. It means-
MAEVE RESTON: Us.
CAMEROTA: -Germany. It means us.
GREGORY: Could be Germany. Can I just point out a historical fact? During World War II, anti-Semites in the State Department -- particularly those who were in charge of immigration to the United States -- specifically told Roosevelt, "Don't let the Jews come in from Germany." Why? "Because Hitler is salting these immigrants with spies." And, ultimately, the U.S. government prohibited Jews from coming in. Many more Jews were murdered than would have been murdered otherwise. So it's really useful to bear history in mind when we look at existing protocols to screen for immigrants and these kind of extra curbs on legal immigration.
CHRIS CUOMO: Also, that's what scares some people about the "America First" logo, right? It makes perfect sense in logic, but within the historical context, that was the nativist sentiment that led to some of these policies. But we know what's going on here. This is Donald Trump trying to get away from the word "Muslim," but still seem strong.
And what he's done is he overreached, Phil, right? And now he's saying, "It's not just about Muslims. It's about anybody." And now, what he's going to get caught in is it's limitless. It could be anyone. It could be us. If we travel abroad, if the U.S. has been compromised by terror, who is, can we not return?
