President-Elect Trump - Where He Stands on Radical Islam

Policies to watch once Trump has a perspective from the Oval Office: opposition to the nuclear pact with Iran and not arming Syrian rebels.

Donald Trump, president elect of the United States, spoke out on the campaign trail against radical Islam. Trump opposed the Obama administration’s pressure on former Egyptian president and U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak to resign. That resignation paved the way for the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood across the Middle East. Expect President Trump to support anti-Islamist regimes in the Arab world and those individuals in America.

Trump has also said he would shut down extremist mosques in America, which would be a welcome policy to stop radicalization of America’s Muslims. He will need an expert team of legal experts to accomplish that goal since opponents will argue that the line between freedom of speech and religion and incitement to violence is razor thin.

Policies to watch once Trump has a perspective from the Oval Office will be his stated opposition to the nuclear agreement with Iran and his opposition to regime change and arming the rebels in Syria.

Below is the platform that Trump campaigned on:

Domestic Islamists

Shut down mosques that preach extremism
Would revoke the passports of Americans who travel abroad to join the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL). Initially advocated a temporary ban on all Muslim immigration and has since scaled it back to only Muslim countries with major terrorist activity. In his national security speech in June, he proposed using ideological vetting such as support for extremist beliefs or links to extremist groups (not necessarily terrorists) in deciding who gets to enter the U.S. He cited polls showing high levels of support for Sharia governance in countries like Afghanistan.

Egypt & the Muslim Brotherhood

Opposed the Obama Administration’s pressure on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to give up power.

Intelligence

Supports enhanced interrogation of terror suspects (considered torture by critics).

Iran

Opposes the nuclear deal with Iran, calling it “terrible,” but “loves the concept” of a good deal.
Thanked by the wife of an American pastor imprisoned in Iran for bringing attention to his captivity.
Endorsed airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program in 2007.

ISIS, Iraq & Syria

Only candidate to support Russia’s military intervention in Syria against rebels fighting ISIS, as well as ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
Opposes involvement in the civil war and arming rebels.
Opposes a policy of regime change towards the Assad dictatorship.
“I say that you can defeat ISIS by taking their wealth. Take back the oil. Once you go over and take back that oil, they have nothing. You bomb the hell out of them, and then you encircle it, and then you go in. And you let Mobil go in, and you let our great oil companies go in. Once you take that oil, they have nothing left.”
“I would hit [ISIS] so hard. I would find you a proper general, I would find the Patton or MacArthur. I would hit them so hard your head ,would spin.”
U.S. should not get involved in Syria by supporting the rebels or launching airstrikes in retaliation for the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons.
Opposed the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Opposed the invasion of Iraq and any policy aimed at removing Saddam Hussein from power.
U.S. should take Iraq’s oil and reimburse the countries who were involved in the 2003 invasion and give $1 million to the family of every U.S. soldier who died in Iraq.