Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has never shied away from controversy this election cycle, which has undoubtedly resulted in his front-runner status. His latest statement—calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until it is deemed safe to do so—comes with some numbers behind it.
“Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension,” he said. “Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”
The Trump campaign points to a number of polls, including most recently, a poll conducted by the Center for Security Policy, that found large segments of the Muslim world holds great animosity toward the United States. In that poll, 25 percent of those polled agreed that “violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad” and 51 percent of those polled agreed that “Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah.”
