Donald Trump Defends Proposed Muslim Ban: ‘I’m the Worst Thing That’s Ever Happened to ISIS’ (Video)

Donald Trump continued to stand by his plan to ban Muslim immigrants from the United States in an interview with ABC News on Tuesday.

The GOP presidential candidate sat down with Barbara Walters for an on-camera interview that aired during “World News Tonight,” in which he said that he is “the worst thing that’s ever happened to ISIS.”

When asked by Walters if he is a “bigot,” Trump strongly disagreed. “Not at all. Probably the least of anybody you’ve ever met,” he said. “I have common sense, I know how to run things.”

Also read: Donald Trump Urges 'Complete Shutdown' of Muslims Entering US

Trump stirred up controversy earlier this week when he called for a “a total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the country. A statement posted to his campaign website on Monday cited “great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population.”

The presidential hopeful immediately received backlash for the plan, with other candidates denouncing the idea entirely, including his fellow members of the Republican Party. “Donald Trump is unhinged. His ‘policy’ proposals are not serious,” Jeb Bush wrote on Twitter.

Also read: Donald Trump Doubles Down on Barring Muslims From Entering America (Video)

The real estate mogul brushed off the criticism, saying that the other candidates were simply seeking publicity. “When I came out against illegal immigration, everybody thought the same thing. Two weeks later, everybody was on my side,” he claimed.

Reiterating his previous statements, Trump told Walters that the ban would only be temporary. “It’s short term, let our country get it’s act together,” he said.

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“There are people who have tremendously bad intentions,” he continued. “We have to be tough, we have to be smart, and we have to be vigilant.”

Watch the video below.