GOP rep, CNN anchor clash over terror attacks

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) said Tuesday that Americans should give President Trump’s executive order on immigration a chance as he engaged in a heated debate with a CNN anchor over terrorism.

“What’s wrong with a pause? We’ve having a pause for 90 days. Why is that so radical?” Duffy said on CNN’s “New Day.”

“Why is that so extreme that we can’t say ‘Mr Trump, you talked about this on the campaign. You’re going to take a 90- to 120-day pause. Good on you, Mr. Trump.’”

The executive order imposes a 90-day ban on nationals from seven predominantly Muslim countries entering the United States. The order also halts admitting refugees for 120 days, as well as indefinitely suspends accepting refugees from war-torn Syria.

{mosads}CNN host Alisyn Camerota asked Duffy why Trump is not talking about the recent mosque attack in Quebec City, where 6 Muslims were killed during evening prayers, allegedly by a supporter of far-right causes.

“I don’t know. But I would just tell you there is a difference. Death and murder on both sides is wrong,” he said.

Duffy argued that there is a difference between attacks like the ones inspired by terrorist organizations and the one that took place in Canada. 

“You don’t have a group like ISIS or al Qaeda that’s inspiring people around the world to take up arms and kill innocents. That was a one-off,” said Duffy.

Canada labeled the attack an act of terrorism. Police arrested a suspect known to have espoused anti-Muslim rhetoric the day after the attack, according to a report in USA Today. The suspect, 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette, had also “liked” Trump and far-right French National Front leader Marine Le Pen on Facebook.

Camerota in the Tuesday morning interview with Duffy questioned his assertion that there is a difference between the mosque killings and other terrorist attacks.

“Why do you think that when it’s a white terrorist it’s an isolated incident?” Camerota asked.

Duffy again referenced the terrorist cells that are inspiring attacks around the world.

“What’s the heart beat of the attack that you referenced in the mosque, or what happened in Charleston?” he said, referencing the 2015 shooting at an African-American church that left 9 people dead.

Camerota answered “extremism, hatred, white supremacy.”

“Can we vet that? How should we vet that to keep ourselves safe?” Duffy asked

The Montreal attack occurred the same weekend as protests that erupted throughout the United States following Trump’s executive order.

A judge has since issued a restraining order, temporary halting the travel ban. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments over the ban on Tuesday evening.