'We Are Going to Win:' Trump Blasts Hawaii Judge's 'Overreach' on Travel Ban
A federal judge has blocked President Trump's new travel ban, just hours before it was set to take effect.
Trump called the ruling "unprecedented judicial overreach," vowing to bring the case to the Supreme Court if necessary.
Speaking to supporters at a campaign-style rally in Nashville, President Trump said the judge's decision in Hawaii to halt his newly revised travel ban makes America look weak.
"We are going to fight this terrible ruling," Trump declared. "We are going to take our case as far as it needs to go, including all the way up to the Supreme Court. We are going to win, we are going to keep our citizens safe."
Calling it a "watered-down version" of his original executive order, the president says his decision to temporarily stop people from six Muslim-majority terror-prone nations from coming to the country is about national security, not discrimination.
"The best way to keep foreign terrorists or, as some people would say, in certain instances, radical Islamic terrorists, from attacking our country, is to stop them from entering our country in the first place," the president argued.
But the judge disagreed, saying the new ban discriminates on the basis of nationality and religion, and cited, among other examples, President Trump's January 27th interview with CBN's David Brody in which he discussed the need to protect Christians in the Middle East.
"Do you know if you were a Christian in Syria it was impossible, at least very tough to get into the United States? If you were a Muslim you could come in, but if you were a Christian, it was almost impossible and the reason that was so unfair, everybody was persecuted in all fairness, but they were chopping off the heads of everybody but more so the Christians. And I thought it was very, very unfair. So we are going to help them," the president had said.
The judge's ruling blocked the updated executive order just hours before it was to take effect.
Meanwhile, the battle over health care continues as the president and Republican lawmakers try to convince some members of their own party and the public that their proposals are good for the country – as Trump says it's time to get rid of the failing Obamacare system.
"We will end this nightmare and put in place reforms that actually improve people's lives," House Speaker Paul Ryan said.
The plan faces a big test today when the House Budget Committee deals with the legislation.
Some Republicans have been unhappy with the new bill, calling it "Obamacare light," arguing that it doesn't go far enough to undo Obamacare.
But supporters say it's only the first step on the path to first repealing, then completely replacing Obamacare.
The president says he's open to debate and negotiation to make sure they get the best plan for the American people, and more negotiations are sure to come in the days ahead.
On Thursday, a judge in Greenbelt, Maryland, rejected a revised executive order that bans travel targeting six predominantly Muslim countries. Judge Theodore Chuang granted a preliminary injunction on Thursday. The Maryland plaintiffs argue the ban illegally reduces the number of refugees authorized to enter the U.S. this year.
The ruling comes after a judge in Hawaii rejected President Trump's revised travel ban. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson rejected the government's claims that the travel ban is about national security, not discrimination.
CBN's exclusive interview with President Trump was cited in the Judge's decision to temporary halt the travel ban.
Excerpt from Judge Watson's ruling:
"In a January 27th, 2017 interview with Christian Broadcasting Network, President Trump said that persecuted Christians would be given priority under the first Executive Order. He said: "Do you know if you were a Christian in Syria it was impossible, at least very tough to get into the United States? If you were a Muslim you could come in, but if you were a Christian, it was almost impossibly and the reason that was so unfair, everybody was persecuted in all fairness, but they were chopping off the heads of everybody but more so the Christians. And I thought it was very, very unfair. So we are going to help them."
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