By Kasim Ileri
WASHINGTON (AA) – The incoming White House Chief of Staff said Sunday that the Donald Trump administration would not have a registry for Muslims but left the door open about the possibility.
"Look I'm not going to rule out anything," Reince Priebus told NBC news. "We're not going to have a registry based on a religion. But what I think what we're trying to do is say that there are some people, certainly not all people ... there are some people that are radicalized. And there are some people that have to be prevented from coming into this country."
Priebus appeared on the Meet the Press political television program and defended Trump’s position to restrict immigrants from conflict regions from entering the U.S., saying that it is consistent with current bill in Congress that express: “If you want to come from a place or an area around the world that harbors and trains terrorists, we have to temporarily suspend that operation until a better vetting system is put in place," he said.
According to Priebus, before immigrants are allowed to enter the U.S., the administration should ensure that “a better vetting system is put in place”.
In the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and California late last year, Trump proposed a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. until the government could figure out what is going on.
He later softened his stance to a suspension of immigration from conflict-torn countries.
Although Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric softened as the Nov. 8 Election Day approached, his selection of senior officials, such as retired Gen. Michael Flynn has raised concerns.
Responding to a question by host Chuck Todd about whether Trump agrees with Flynn's statements such as a "fear of Muslims is rational," Priebus said the president-elect believes “no faith in and of itself should be judged as a whole.
"But there are some people in countries abroad that need to be prevented ... there are some people that need to be prevented from coming into this country. So I think that's where 99 percent of Americans are at," he added.