Steve Reilly

USA TODAY

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Wednesday addressed President Donald Trump’s views on Islam following media coverage of comments made by top advisor Steve Bannon.

In audio recordings reviewed by USA TODAY and discussed in an article published Tuesday, Bannon called Islam “the most radical” religion in the world and indicated he believes it is not a religion of peace. Bannon made the comments on his Breitbart radio show he hosted before joining Trump’s campaign in August 2016 and later his administration as chief strategist and senior counsel.

Asked at Wednesday’s daily press briefing whether Trump agreed with Bannon’s views, Spicer said the goal of recent travel restrictions affecting seven Muslim-majority countries "is not to target any one religion but places and areas where we believe that there is an issue." He said the president understands the difference between Islam and radical Islamic terrorists.

“The president’s number one goal has always been to focus on the safety of America, not the religion,” Spicer said. “He understands that it’s not a religion problem, it’s a radicalization problem. That there’s a big difference between Islam the religion and radical Islamic terrorists that come here to seek to do us harm.”

In radio shows in 2015 and 2016, Bannon suggested the growth of Islam was “much darker” than the rise fascism and other threats facing Europe in the 1930s, and predicted U.S. entry into “a major shooting war in the Middle East again.” Other statements by Bannon regarding Islam and immigration were also reported Tuesday by The Washington Post and CNN.

Pressed again on whether Trump shares his Bannon’s stated views on Islam, Spicer declined to elaborate.

“I think I just made it clear that there’s a difference between the president’s view,” Spicer replied.

Also on Wednesday, a group of Democratic members of Congress delivered a letter urging Trump remove Bannon from his post on the National Security Council, citing the political nature of his position and his past statements and his rhetoric.

“Mr. Bannon has provided a platform for white nationalists and the alt-right national movement,” the letter states, “and he has also espoused a false theory of a violent clash of civilizations between the west and Islam that only serves to fuel violent extremism.”