by WorldTribune Staff, February 2, 2017
President Donald Trump’s temporary travel ban on people from seven Muslim-majority nations is supported by 49 percent of Americans and opposed by 41 percent, a new poll found.
One-third of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Jan. 30-31 said the president’s executive order will definitely make the United States safer.
WRAL in Clayton, North Carolina interviewed several residents who backed Trump’s move.
Wake County resident Lisa Mahoney said she supported Trump’s executive order despite massive protests across the country that have referred to it as “racist and xenophobic.”
“I think that they misunderstand us and they think that we’re hateful, that we just hate people. That’s not the case,” Mahoney said. “I feel for refugees. I don’t want to see people suffer, but we have to take care of our country first.
“One of (Trump’s) promises was to protect our country, to make it safer, and in doing so, we need a better vetting process, and that takes time,” she said.
Harry O’Neal, the son of an Air Force veteran, told WRAL he’s not surprised more people support the travel ban than oppose it.
“The other countries said that they were going to send in ISIS to infiltrate the people coming in (as refugees or U.S. immigrants),” O’Neal said. “There’s no way you can prevent them coming in if you don’t have some type of border security.”
Sheri Henry told WRAL she struggles over whether Trump’s immigration stance is the right one.
“I voted for him, and I think we can only go forward, but I think it’s interesting as far as the immigrant situation because we’re for, America’s for everybody,” Henry said.
Jeff Sullivan said the protesters aren’t giving Trump a chance.
“This is just a temporary thing he’s putting in place to make sure the people are vetted and secure enough to enter the country without causing harm to American citizens,” Sullivan said.