S1 EP 15: Donald Trump’s Muslim Immigration Ban and Starting a War with the Media

There are three segments in this episode. The first segment discusses the political fallout from the Trump Administration’s executive order to increase security vetting for travelers coming into the United States from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen and Somalia for 90 days. We also discuss how members of Congress are positioning themselves around this decision. The second segment is a discussion about historical voter opinion research showing a majority of Americans opposing proposals allowing refugees to enter the country. The third segment discusses the decision of White House Counselor Stephen Bannon’s to attack on the national media in an interview with the New York Times. 

Segment #1 – Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Muslim Immigration Ban 

The executive order increases scrutiny on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia for 90 days. The executive order also bans Syrian refugees indefinitely from entering the United States, and the whole refugee program for 120 days. President Trump has said a more “extreme vetting” of immigrants from those state will keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States. His team has said this is not about religion, this is about terror and keeping the country safe.” Critics have said the ban will only make it easier for radical terror groups to recruit new members.

We also discuss how Republican members of Congress are reacting to the executive order. We reference an article in the New York Times, Republicans Have One Big Incentive to Stick With Trump, by Kyle Dropp and Brendan Nyman, January 30th, 2017.

Segment #2 - America’s History Opposing the People Seeking Refuge in the U.S.

A fascinating article by Ariel Edwards-Levy, the polling director of the Huffington Post reviews historical polling data from Gallup and other news organizations. The article summarizes American attitudes and opinions of allowing refugees to enter the United States.   

Segment #3 – White House Advisor Stephen Bannon Attacks Media in NYT Interview

The final segment discusses the political impacts of Stephen Bannon’s attack on the media in an interview with the New York Times. The advisor to President Trump calls the media the “opposition party” and should be “embarrassed and humiliated, and should keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while”. The discussion also references the findings of a national online survey of adults 18 and older conducted by the polling firm YouGov. The poll asks questions about the media’s coverage and treatment of Donald Trump (positive, negative, just right). The survey also asks respondents how much they trust the Trump administration to state the facts fully, accurately and fairly.