Trump 'Looking At' Replacing Hijab-Wearing TSA Staff With Vets

ByCANDACE SMITH ABCNews logo
Friday, July 1, 2016

Donald Trump unwittingly waded once again into familiar territory Thursday: controversy, stemming from comments involving the Muslim faith.

During a question-and-answer session following a trade policy-themed town hall event in Manchester, New Hampshire, audience member Cathie Chevalier asked, "Why aren't we putting our military retirees on that border or in TSA? Get rid of all these hibi-jabis they wear at TSA?"

Chevalier, the past state president of the New Hampshire Ladies Auxiliary Veterans of Foreign Wars, was referring to a hijab, the headscarf some Muslim women wear.

"I understand," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee responded.

Chevalier continued, "I've seen them myself. We need the veterans back in there to take it. They fought for this country and defended it, they'll still do it."

Trump seemed to affirm the idea, telling her he would consider her suggestion.

"You know, and we are looking at that," he said. "And we are looking at that. We're looking at a lot of things."

Trump has had a fraught relationship with the Muslim community, once proposing to ban all Muslim immigrants, as well as advocating the profiling and surveillance of mosques.

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