In December 2015, as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump floated the idea of a ban on Muslims travelling to the United States, then-Indiana governor Mike Pence weighed in on Twitter.

“Calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. are offensive and unconstitutional,” he tweeted.

On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order that prevents entry into the United States for at least 30 days for people from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Titled, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States,” the order also bars Syrian refugees from entering the U.S. indefinitely.

The executive action includes “new vetting measures” that Trump said are aimed at keeping “radical Islamic terrorists” out of the United States.

“We don’t want them here,” he said.

Wording contained in a draft of the order suggests the U.S. would allow the admission of Christians from Muslim-majority countries.

While the refugee program is suspended, the U.S. may admit people on a case-by-case basis “when in the national interest” and the government will continue to process refugee requests from people claiming religious persecution, “provided that the religion . . . is a minority religion in the individual’s country.”

In an interview with CBN News, Trump said persecuted Christians would be given priority in applying for refugee status.

“We are going to help them,” Trump said. “They’ve been horribly treated.”

On Dec. 7, 2015, Trump issued a statement “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.

“Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine,” Trump stated at the time.

“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.”

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Pence tweeted his criticism of a potential ban the following day.

With files from The Associated Press

Read more about: