--- title: Donald Trump: White House Says Disqualified From Presidency description: White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday that Trump's statements disqualify him from serving as president canonical: https://time.com/4140922/donald-trump-muslims-white-house-president/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-08T18:52:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:52.912Z article:section: Politics og:title: White House Says Trump's Muslim Ban 'Disqualifies Him From Serving as President' og:description: "It's morally reprehensible. It runs counter to the U.S. Constitution," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said og:url: https://time.com/4140922/donald-trump-muslims-white-house-president/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7882f9eac4472983/69887465cd1bba60116fe6ce/494971318.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest Holds Daily Briefing In White House og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: White House Says Trump's Muslim Ban 'Disqualifies Him From Serving as President' twitter:description: "It's morally reprehensible. It runs counter to the U.S. Constitution," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7882f9eac4472983/69887465cd1bba60116fe6ce/494971318.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # White House Says Trump's Muslim Ban 'Disqualifies Him From Serving as President' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## 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](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Dec 8, 2015 6:52 PM UTC  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 Images Alex Wong—Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Dec 8, 2015 6:52 PM UTC 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/) Trump[ stood by his comments on Tuesday](http://time.com/4140224/donald-trump-muslims) 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":"2026-08-19T07:41:52.912Z","description":"\"It's morally reprehensible. 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