Trump Refuses to Apologize for Calling for ‘Total Muslim Ban’
"There's no reason to apologize," Trump said on Monday during a joint news conference alongside the Nigerian President when asked if he would apologize for his call during the 2016 presidential campaign for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the US.
"There's nothing to apologize for. We have to have strong immigration laws to protect our country."
Trump's refusal to apologize for or rescind his calls during the 2016 campaign for banning all Muslims from entering the United States has been repeatedly cited during court cases concerning the travel ban he put in place last year.
Trump said he did not believe an apology would change the course of the legal case.
He continued to slam current US immigration laws during the conference on Monday.
"Our immigration laws in this country are a total disaster. They're laughed at all over the world."
He also derided the laws as "weak", "pathetic" and "obsolete".
"Just look at our southern border and look at our weak and obsolete immigration laws. And they are obsolete and they are weak and they are pathetic," Trump said.
"And there's no country in the world that has laws like we do and they've got to change and they've got to change now for the safety of our country."
Trump's comment came as he discussed loopholes in US immigration laws that he said can be exploited by terrorists and traffickers, CNN reported.
He said his administration is closely monitoring developments involving the caravan and has previously pledged to keep any migrants from entering the US illegally.
The latest iteration of Trump's travel ban is now before the US Supreme Court, which last week heard oral arguments in the case.
During the arguments, several justices pressed the government on Trump's campaign promise to ban Muslims from the US.
The US solicitor general, Noel Francisco, argued that campaign statements "should be out of bounds".
