--- title: State of the Union: Obama Warns Against Trump Muslim Focus description: The President puts himself into the 2016 debate canonical: https://time.com/4178434/president-obama-scolds-donald-trump-for-focus-on-muslims/ author: Charlotte Alter article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-13T03:29:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:40:42.486Z article:section: Politics og:title: Watch Obama Scold Against Trump-Style Islamophobia og:description: "This isn’t a matter of political correctness. " og:url: https://time.com/4178434/president-obama-scolds-donald-trump-for-focus-on-muslims/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71dac24bc6c07e53/698878e5cd1bba1e7f6feecc/gettyimages-504722960.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: GettyImages-504722960 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch Obama Scold Against Trump-Style Islamophobia twitter:description: "This isn’t a matter of political correctness. " twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71dac24bc6c07e53/698878e5cd1bba1e7f6feecc/gettyimages-504722960.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Obama Scolds Donald Trump for Focus on Muslims > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=74a12dd6-09e5-4fcb-a3b5-9023715a97d9&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: State of the Union: Racism [Watch (HLS stream): State of the Union: Racism](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ucLb7dM1.m3u8) (1:49)  _Published 2016-01-13. SOTU-2016-Racism-v1_  by [Charlotte Alter](https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Jan 13, 2016 3:29 AM UTC SOTU-2016-Racism-v1  by [Charlotte Alter](https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Jan 13, 2016 3:29 AM UTC President Obama had some strong words for Republican candidates—especially party frontrunner Donald Trump—who have been warning that Muslims pose a threat in the United States. “We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion,” he said. “This isn’t a matter of political correctness. It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong.” Trump proposed a temporary ban on all Muslims from entering the United States after the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., and he often mocks the positions of his opponents as “politically correct.” Obama warned that Trump and others could hurt the country. “When politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid bullied, that doesn’t make us safer. That’s not telling it like it is,” he said. “It’s just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world. It makes it harder to achieve our goals. And it betrays who we are as a country.” Trump seemed unfazed by the jab. > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/687108096926330880) ## Transcript [00:00] I will keep working to shut down the prison at [00:02] Guantanamo. It is expensive, it is unnecessary, and it [00:06] only serves as a recruitment brochure for our enemies. [00:07] [ APPLAUSE ] And [00:11] that's we need to reject any politics. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [00:17] Any politics that targets people because of race or [00:20] religion. [ APPLAUSE ] [00:23] This is not a matter of political correctness. This [00:29] is a matter of understanding just what it is that makes [00:33] us strong. The world respects [00:37] us not just for our arsenal [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [00:43] It respects us for our diversity, and our openness, [00:48] and the way we respect every faith. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [00:53] His Holiness, Pope Francis, told this body, from the [00:57] very spot that I am standing on tonight. That to imitate [01:01] the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is [01:04] the best way to take their place. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [01:10] When politicians insult Muslims [01:14] whether abroad or our fellow citizens [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [01:21] When a mosque is vandalized, or [01:24] a kid is called names? That doesn't make us safer. [01:30] That's not telling it like it is. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [01:36] It's just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the [01:40] world. [ APPLAUSE ] It makes it harder to achieve our [01:43] goals. It betrays who we are as a country. 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