Does Trump Understand His Own “Muslim Ban”?

Donald Trump’s garbled answer at a press “gaggle” on Wednesday has raised questions about whether he understands his own “Muslim Ban”.

Trying to evade court challenges, the Administration issued another revision this week of the ban on entry into the US for citizens of mainly-Muslim countries.

Five of the six countries on March’s revised ban — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen — remain, although some Iranians can come on student exchanges. North Korea has been added as a non-Muslim country, as has mainly-Muslim Chad, and there are restrictions on some Venezuelans and Iraqis.

But Sudan, which was on the original seven-nation list in January as well as March’s version, has disappeared.

Trump was asked about the alterations as he met the press on the South Lawn of the White House:

Q First of all, can you explain to us why Sudan was removed? And second of all, how does the travel ban work in North Korea that doesn’t allow their people out of the country?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, the people — yeah, the people allowed — certain countries — but we can add countries very easily and we can take countries away.

Q What did Sudan do right?

THE PRESIDENT: And as far as the travel ban is concerned, whatever it is, I want the toughest travel ban you can have.

So I’ll see you in Indiana. We’re going to go over some more points that have not been talked about. Are you all going? Is everyone going?

Meanwhile, details emerged about a split within the Administration over the addition of Chad to the list.

Elaine Duke, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, included the north African country with the claim that it had done too little to crack down on Islamic extremists.

The State Department, Pentagon, and National Security Council all objected, but hard-line advisor Stephen Miller insisted on the adoption of the entire list presented by Duke.

Officials at the US Embassy in Chaid said they were still trying to figure out why the country was listed, while Pentagon officials were angered that years of close work on cooperation could be undone.