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 Trump, speaking to an NBC News reporter after a campaign
appearance in Iowa on Thursday night, was asked if there should be a
database to monitor Muslims in the United States.
"I would certainly implement that, absolutely," he said in on-camera
comments. Asked how that differed from efforts last century to track
Jews in Nazi Germany, he said: "You tell me."
On Friday, Trump deflected criticism of the remarks, saying in a
tweet: "I didn't suggest a database-a reporter did. We must defeat
Islamic terrorism & have surveillance, including a watch list, to
protect America."
His comments came amid renewed security concerns following the
Islamic State attacks in Paris last week that killed at least 129
people, and a political fight over U.S. plans to take in 10,000
refugees from Syria.
 Two Republican presidential rivals, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush
and Ohio Governor John Kasich, were the most critical of the
database comments. Bush called them "just wrong."
"It's manipulating people's angst and their fears," he said on CNBC.
"That's not strength. That's weakness."
Kasich, whose Super PAC is launching a $2.5 million series of
attacks against Trump, said the remarks proved the real estate mogul
was not worthy of the White House.
"The idea that someone would have to register with the federal
government because of their religion strikes against all that we
have believed in our nation’s history," Kasich said in a statement.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, campaigning in Iowa, said he was glad Trump
was running because he had generated a lot of excitement for the
Republican race, but criticized his support for registries.
"On the question of should the federal government keep a registry of
any religious group? The answer is of course not. The First
Amendment protects religious liberties for every American," Cruz
said.
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who earlier this week compared
Syrian refugees to "rabid dogs," called singling out an individual
religion to create a database "a pretty dangerous precedent."
 'TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME'
"I don’t think it’s a good idea to treat anybody differently, one of
the hallmarks of America is that we treat everybody the same,"
Carson said.
He said, however, it would be acceptable to shut down mosques where
"a lot of activity going on that is radicalizing people."
Other Republican candidates opted not to weigh in on the remarks
from Trump, who earlier in the week called for shutting down
American mosques frequented by radicals.
Trump, who leads the Republican presidential field in opinion polls,
has called for deporting the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants
in America.
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He said Muslims would be legally required to register for the
database. "There should be a lot of systems, beyond databases," he
said.
Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie
Sanders also criticized Trump's comments.
"This is shocking rhetoric. It should be denounced by all seeking to
lead this country," Clinton said on Twitter. Sanders called Trump's
remarks "outrageous and bigoted."
The Paris attacks have launched a growing debate on the 2016
campaign trail about the appropriate U.S. response.
As the debate over terrorism has gained prominence, polls show
Republicans turning to Trump, a billionaire with no previous
government experience, to tackle the issue. A Reuters/Ipsos poll
after the attack found 33 percent of Republicans think he is best
suited to address terrorism, leading the field.
Trump supporters Betty and Terry Phelps, of Lisco, Nebraska, said
the database made sense. Betty Phelps said it would not be much
different than existing databases.
"We’re all kept track of, through driver’s license, social security
number," she said.
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, a Muslim rights group, said other Republican candidates
should say whether they would close mosques, create a database of
Muslims or require Muslims to carry a special ID card.
"This is way beyond the pale, this is basically a call to persecute
a religious minority based on nothing other than their faith,"
Hooper said.
(Additional reporting by Emily Flitter and Megan Cassella; Editing
by John Whitesides, Alistair Bell and David Gregorio)
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