Trump wants ‘total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the U.S.’

GOP presidential campaign frontrunner Donald Trump said Monday there should be a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

"Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension," Trump said in a policy statement issued Monday. "Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until recently 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. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again."

They're by far the most broad-reaching and aggressive statements from a candidate who's become known for his anti-immigration rhetoric — first against immigrants entering from Mexico, and then from Muslim majority nations.

He said Muslims should be barred from entering the United States "until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on."

His statement continues:

"According to Pew Research, among others, there is a great hatred toward Americans by large segments of the Muslim population. More recently, a poll from the Center for Security Policy released data showing '25% of those polled agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad' and 51% of those polled 'agreed that Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah.'"

The statement appeared to be referencing this poll by the Center for Security Policy, which is often criticized for promoting far-right views, and which is founded by Frank Gaffney, who has promoted conspiracy theories such as Saddam Hussein's involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and a 2011 claim that two board members of the Conservative Political Action Committee were secretly aiding the Muslim Brotherhood.

According to the Associated Press, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said Trump's proposed ban would apply to "everybody," including Muslims seeking immigration visas as well as tourists seeking to enter the country.

The AP reported Lewandowski  did not respond to questions about whether it would also include Muslims who are U.S. citizens and travel outside of the country, or how a determination of someone's religion might be made by customs and border officials.

In response to a request for additional detail, Trump said via a campaign spokeswoman: "Because I am so politically correct, I would never be the one to say. You figure it out!" the AP reported.