Morris leaders in Washington denounce Trump comments

Count Rodney Frelinghuysen and Leonard Lance among the Republican leaders distancing themselves from the latest controversial comments by Donald Trump calling for a ban on allowing Muslims into the United States.

Both congressmen representing Morris County in Washington denounced the headline statements made last week by the man dominating the polls for their party's nomination for president in 2016.

“Freedom of religion is one of our bedrock constitutional principles," Frelinghuysen told the Daily Record. "That’s why I object so strongly to any attempt to single out people by their religion. Mr. Trump’s misguided proposal will never be adopted."

“Freedom of religion and guaranteeing due process of law are fundamental, conservative constitutional principles that must be protected and respected," Lance said. "Mr. Trump’s comments were wrong and have been criticized by a long list of conservative Republicans and world leaders including former Vice President Dick Cheney, Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Ted Cruz and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."

Those comments were made in response to Trump's call on Monday for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."

According to an Associated Press report, Trump's proposed ban would apply to both immigrants and visitors who are adherents of Islam. The idea faced an immediate challenge to its legality and feasibility from experts who could point to no formal exclusion of immigrants based on religion in America's history.

"Until 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," Trump said in the statement.

Since then, Trump has stood firmly by his statements, which have not cooled his polling numbers. A CBS News poll released Thursday showed Trump leading the GOP presidential field at 35 percent, more than double the support enjoyed by Cruz, the second-place candidate (16 percent), and 13 points higher than the same poll showed in October.

Frelinghuysen and Lance tempered their remarks about Trump, however, with criticism of President Barack Obama and calls for a new strategy to root out potential radical terrorist Muslims entering the country.

“There is no doubt that we must aggressively take on radical Islamic terrorism," Frelinghuysen said. "That’s why the complete lack of a clear strategy from the Obama Administration is so dangerous for Americans. We need to know exactly who is entering our country. We need to root out Islamic extremism here at home.  And we need to destroy ISIS, al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations where they live!”

“To his credit Mr. Trump rightfully points out that Americans are increasingly concerned about our immigration and visa system," Lance said. "The good news is that Congress is working in a bipartisan capacity to address these concerns in a responsible way by passing measures to crack down on foreign travelers entering the United States and pause the influx of refugees until an effective vetting and monitoring process is in place that ensures the safety of the American people."

Lance also used the opportunity to restate his support for Gov. Chris Christie in the 2016 presidential election.

“One of the main reasons I have endorsed Chris Christie for president is because his campaign is not about fiery campaign rhetoric, but tested results," Lance said. "Governor Christie’s leadership in fighting terrorism and experience in law enforcement mean he understands what it takes to keep our homeland secure. This is true not only as the chief executive of our state but for his years as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, serving in the wake of 9/11, dismantling terror cells and combating threats to our nation. The recent acts of terrorism in Paris and San Bernardino have brought the alarming strength of ISIS and radical Islam to the forefront of the presidential race.  On these vital matters of national security and protecting our homeland, Chris Christie is the proven leader."

Christie also denounced Trump's remarks, calling them "the kind of thing that people say when they have no experience and don't know what they're talking about."

"We do not need to endorse that type of activity, nor should we," Christie told conservative talk radio host Michael Medved in an on-air interview Monday. "You do not need to be banning Muslims from the country. In my view, that's a ridiculous position and one that won't even be productive."

Trump escalated the rhetoric between himself and Christie in a campaign speech Tuesday in South Carolina, saying that there was "less than a 1 percent chance" Christie was unaware of the alleged actions taken by his staff leading to the Bridgegate scandal.

"So he knew about it, he knew about it. Totally knew about it," Trump said.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-917-9242; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.