Donald Trump, the front-running U.S. Presidential candidate for the Republican Party, has declared that once “so beautiful”, living in Brussels is “like living in a hell hole” because of the lack of “assimilation” by the Muslim population.

Donald Trump was being interviewed by Maria Bartiromo on the Fox Business Network when he was again asked about his proposal for a moratorium on Muslims travelling to the U.S. in order to keep the country safe from terrorism. In his ‘take no prisoners’ style of political discourse to which followers of American politics have become accustomed, he responded:

“There’s something going on, Maria. Go to Brussels, got to Paris, go to different places, there’s something going on, and it’s not good, where they want sharia law….

“You know there has to be some assimilation, there is no assimilation. There’s something bad going on, and until we find out what it is so we can correct it…

“You go to Brussels — I was in Brussels a long time ago, 20 years ago, so beautiful, everything so beautiful — it’s like living in a hellhole right now.

“You go to these different places, there’s something going on.”

Mr Trump’s comments were made in light of the fact that several suspects allegedly connected to November’s terrorist attacks in Paris lived in the Belgian capital, including the troubled Molenbeek district visited by Breitbart London last year.

Brussels itself was placed under the highest level terror threat from 21 November to 26 November, during which time bars, restaurants, museums, shops and even schools were restricted in opening times or closed, and the entire metro system was shut down.

A month later the Mayor of Brussels cancelled his city’s annual New Year’s fireworks display due to the ongoing terrorist threat hanging over it, declaring: “It is better not to take risks.”

Residents of Brussels have taken to Twitter to attack Mr. Trump’s comments on their city, saying his sketch of the city does not reflect their reality.

We are not living in a #hellhole Mister Trump, but in a hell of a place! #Trump #Belgium — Geert Noels (@GeertNoels) January 27, 2016