Donald Trump said late Tuesday that he would compromise on his call for banning foreign Muslims from coming to the U.S. under the right circumstances.
“I’m not saying there can’t be some give and take,” he said aboard his personal jet that evening, according to The Washington Examiner.
{mosads}“You look at the radical Islamic terrorism and you look at what’s going on, we have to take a serious look,” Trump continued. “There’s tremendous hatred.
“It doesn’t mean I’m hard and fast 100 percent, but we have to get a lot of what I’m asking for, or we’re not going to have a country anymore,” the GOP presidential front-runner added.
Trump argued that his past business experience makes him capable of flexibility on other issues as well, including illegal immigration.
“They are very strong positions, and I would adhere to those positions very strongly,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean that at some point we won’t talk a little bit about some negotiation,” the real estate mogul added. “Who wouldn’t do that?”
Trump additionally expressed confidence in beating any potential Democratic presidential nominee next November.
“I’ve really had my mind set on Hillary,” he said, referencing Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton.
“I think Sanders would be easier to beat,” Trump continued, alluding to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
“I think I’ll beat Hillary. It makes no difference to me whatsoever. I look forward to running against whoever it is.”
Trump began calling for a temporary halt on Muslim immigration into the U.S. last year. He has since repeatedly defended the measure as necessary for preventing radical Islamic terrorism.
The businessman’s suggestion has sparked criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, who say it is discriminatory.
He nonetheless remains the GOP front-runner by 16 points nationwide, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.