--- description: White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday that Trump's statements disqualify him from serving as president title: White House Says Trump's Muslim Ban 'Disqualifies Him From Serving as President' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7882f9eac4472983/69887465cd1bba60116fe6ce/494971318.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2016 Election](/tag/2016-election/) ## 2016 Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # White House Says Trump's Muslim Ban 'Disqualifies Him From Serving as President' ## Video: Watch Trump Talk About Restricting Muslims' Entry into the U.S. [Watch (HLS stream): Watch Trump Talk About Restricting Muslims' Entry into the U.S.](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cBfLYrMA.m3u8) (0:18)  _Published 2015-12-08. Just one of his many opinions on how to deal with terrorism in the U.S._ by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 8, 2015 6:52 PM CUT  WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 30: White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest conducts the daily press briefing at James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House October 30, 2015 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong—Getty Images WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 30: White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest conducts the daily press briefing at James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House October 30, 2015 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong—Getty ImagesAlex Wong—Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 8, 2015 6:52 PM CUT Donald Trump’s statement that he would ban Muslims from entering the U.S. “disqualifies him from serving as president,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said of the Republican candidate during a press briefing on Tuesday. “What Mr. Trump said is deeply offensive,” Earnest said. “It’s morally reprehensible. It runs counter to the U.S. Constitution” and threatens national security, he added. Earnest also slammed Trump’s campaign as a “carnival barker routine” that was rooted “in the dustbin of history.” Earnest said the “question now is about the rest of the Republican party and whether they’re going to be dragged into the dustbin of history with him.” He called on Republicans to condemn a Trump presidency. “What we need to see is a definitive statement from every candidate for the presidency about whether or not Mr. Trump is somebody they should vote for,” he said. “I think their statements about this pledge they have taken to support Mr. Trump will speak volumes, as will the silence” if no one says anything. Earnest is one of many Obama administration officials who have said divisive rhetoric about the Muslim community harms national security, particularly as the U.S. and other world powers seek to fight ISIS. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday that discrimination against Muslims in the U.S. is [un-American and threatens the country.](http://time.com/4139984/jeh-johnson-muslims/ "undefined") Trump[ stood by his comments on Tuesday](http://time.com/4140224/donald-trump-muslims "undefined") in the face of broad criticism. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4140922/donald-trump-muslims-white-house-president/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4140922/donald-trump-muslims-white-house-president/"},"headline":"White House Says Trump's Muslim Ban 'Disqualifies Him From Serving as President'","datePublished":"2015-12-08T18:52:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T13:12:14.503Z","description":"\"It's morally reprehensible. 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