Donald Trump is suggesting the United States should "seriously" consider profiling Muslims inside the country as a terrorism-fighting tool, the latest example of the Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting increasingly backing positions that could single out a group based on its religion. "We really have to look at profiling," Trump said in an interview broadcast on Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation." "It's not the worst thing to do." The presumptive Republican presidential nominee added that he "hate(s) the concept of profiling, but we have to use common sense" over "political correctness." Trump's proposal runs counter to Justice Department policy, which explicitly prohibits profiling on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity and national origin. That profiling ban applies not only to federal agents but also to local law enforcement officers who participate in federal task forces. Trump's increasing embrace of policies that could isolate Muslims in America is extraordinary for a candidate assured of his party's presidential nomination. The proposals have been roundly dismissed and criticized by many Republican leaders, including House Speaker Paul Ryan. Civil libertarians, Muslims and others also have strongly disagreed, arguing that profiling is unconstitutional and often constitutes unlawful discrimination based on race, religion and other factors. Law enforcement should remain allied with groups that might have helpful information, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an interview that aired on Sunday. "It is very important for to us maintain our contacts within the Muslim community, because, often, individuals, if they're from that community and they're being radicalized, their friends and family members will see it first. They will see activity first. And we want that information to come to us," Lynch said on CNN's "State of Union." Trump's statements are consistent with his other, long-expressed views on how to stop terrorism in the United States, including a temporary ban on foreign Muslims from entering the country until the US can figure out "what is going on." But he's intensified his approach since Omar Mateen carried out the worst mass shooting in modern American history on June 12 at a gay club in Orlando, Florida. — AP
