President Trump strongly reiterated his call for extreme vetting after the recent terror attacks in England.
In any event we are EXTREME VETTING people coming into the U.S. in order to help keep our country safe. The courts are slow and political!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017
His Democratic critics have accused him of stoking racism with his national security policies, particularly his travel order, which temporarily bans refugees from six Middle Eastern and African nations. Appeals courts have even managed to block the executive order in multiple instances, citing “religious discrimination.”
Yet, at least one politician sees Trump’s point.
In an interview with “Fox and Friends” Monday morning, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) noted that he sees the benefits and necessities of extreme vetting – particularly when it comes to scanning social media. It’s only fair that U.S. embassies be allowed to survey visa applicants’ online accounts, he argued.
"Absolutely, that social media gives you a roadmap," Manchin said. "It does give you a roadmap of what these people have been thinking, what's been in the kind of environment they've been in, what's inspiring them, what they're interested in, what has attracted them. It tells us everything."
Not everyone sees it that way. Critics charge that these new procedures will discourage international students from seeking visas.
President Trump is urging the Supreme Court to take up his travel order, while criticizing his Department of Justice for submitting a “watered down” version of the order.