Republicans are divided on businessman Donald Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims from entering the United States in the wake of the deadly terror attack in San Bernardino, California.
According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Thursday evening, 42 percent of Republican adults support the GOP presidential candidate’s proposal, while 36 percent oppose it.
Likewise, 38 percent of likely Republican primary voters back Trump’s proposal to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the country, while 39 percent disagree with it.
Overall, Americans are opposed to the idea. Fifty-seven percent of U.S. adults disagree with Trump’s proposal, while a quarter agree with it. Those opposed to such a ban include 75 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of independents.
Trump called for the ban Monday following revelations that the two individuals who opened fire on a San Bernardino holiday party were supporters of the Islamic State, the group behind the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris in November and the downing of a Russian airliner in October.
In the wake of threats from the Islamic State, concern has risen surrounding America’s acceptance of migrants from the Middle East, particularly the refugees fleeing civil war in Syria. Several Republican lawmakers have called for a pause in the government’s acceptance of Syrian refugees following the Nov. 13 suicide bombings and shootings that killed 130 people in Paris.
"Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on," a Trump campaign release said Monday.
Trump’s plan has been met by criticism from Republican leaders and lawmakers, including Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, House Speaker Paul Ryan (Wis.), and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.). Several of Trump’s competitors in the Republican primary have also criticized the plan.
The survey, which was conducted between Dec. 6 and 9 and will be released in full next week, also found that 41 percent of Americans believe that Trump’s campaign statements in general are by and large insulting. However, 24 percent say he is raising important issues albeit with problematic language and 22 percent think he is taking the correct approach and telling it like it is.
Among Republicans, 40 percent believe Trump is taking the right approach and 37 percent say he talking about important problems despite his manner. Sixteen percent, however, regard the candidate as insulting.