In the aftermath of last night’s terrorist attack in Nice, France, Newt Gingrich told Fox News that Muslims in America should be “tested” to see if they believe in Sharia law, and deported if they fail that test.
“Let me be as blunt and direct as I can be. Western civilization is in a war. We should frankly test every person here who is of a Muslim background, and if they believe in sharia, they should be deported,” said Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House who was on Trump’s short list of candidates considered to be Donald Trump’s vice president. “Sharia is incompatible with Western civilization. Modern Muslims who have given up sharia, glad to have them as citizens. Perfectly happy to have them next door.”
Critics immediately pounced, pointing out that many Muslim-Americans are citizens and have been born in the United States. Also, while Gingrich and some other politicians invoke “sharia law” as short hand for “radical Islamic terrorism,” it is, in fact, a complicated set of religious beliefs that includes rules about everything from diet to banking, and there are several schools of thought on sharia law.
Gingrich started to walk back his comments Friday morning, saying on Twitter that the media distorted his views.
Amazing distortions of my interview on Hannity last night.i will do a lengthy facebook live later this morning on the issue of sharia
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) July 15, 2016
We clearly need three patterns dealing with Islamist terrorism:for people seeking to get into America,those with green cards, for citizens
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) July 15, 2016
The hysteria of the media overreaction to my comments on the Nice attack is very https://t.co/udfQQdx84A my facebook live later today
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) July 15, 2016
Gingrich lost out on the vice presidential nomination to Indiana Governor Mike Pence. He still stands to have a role in a Trump administration.