Clinton Calls Cruz's Proposed Muslim Patrol 'Dangerous'

ByLIZ KREUTZ ABCNews logo
Wednesday, March 23, 2016

SEATTLE -- Hillary Clinton slammed Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz for his proposal to patrol U.S. Muslim neighborhoods as a plan to combat terrorism, in the wake of Tuesday's attacks in Brussels.

"Ted Cruz, who said we need to be policing everywhere Muslims live. I don't know about you; that is not only offensive that too is dangerous," Clinton told the crowd at a rally in Seattle Tuesday shortly after declaring victory in the Arizona Democratic primary. "Because we want everybody to feel together on our common defense against terrorism."

Following the terrorist attacks in Belgium Tuesday, Cruz released a statement saying, "we need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized."

The Democratic National Committee was quick to blast the Texas senator for this proposal, issuing an unusually sharp response.

"Ted Cruz is a disgrace," DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida said in a statement. "His comments today were worse than opportunistic and inappropriate politicking in the wake of the terrible tragedy in Brussels - they were a shameful display of hate that only serves to foment anger and make the world less secure."

Clinton piled on during her remarks later in the evening, saying both Donald Trump and Cruz are "wrong" when it comes to combating ISIS and that they have "made our job harder in the last few days."

She then took what could be perceived as a subtle jab at Trump's hands (the size of which he's infamously defended). "So remember, when you go to caucus and your friends go to caucus on Saturday, this is about not only selecting a president but also selecting a commander in chief," Clinton said of the upcoming Washington state caucuses. "And we need to be sure that we have those smart steady hands."

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