Paul Ryan Blasts Trump Rhetoric: ‘It’s Not What This Country Stands For’

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan slammed Donald Trump‘s proposed Muslim ban Tuesday, saying the suggestion violates “what this country stands for.”

Trump released a statement Monday calling for a ban on Muslims entering the United States. The presidential candidate defended his suggestion amid growing backlash, comparing it to Franklin Delano Roosevelt‘s treatment of Japanese-Americans during WWII.

“Freedom of religion is a fundamental Constitutional principle, it’s a founding principle of this country,” Ryan said, adding normally he does “not comment on what’s going on in the presidential election.”

“I will take an exception today,” he continued. “This is not conservatism. What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for, and more importantly, it is not what this country stands for.”

Watch the video above, via CNN.

[Image via screengrab]

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