By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Homeland Security Security Secretary John Kelly denied reports on Tuesday that he was blind-sided by President Trump’s executive order that imposes a travel ban on seven predominately Muslim countries.
“We did know the executive order was coming,” Kelly said at a news conference, NBC News reports. “We had people involved in the general drafting of it. Clearly this whole approach was part of what then-candidate Trump talked about for a year or two. So we knew all this was coming.”
He added: “It wasn’t a surprise that it was coming.”
According to a senior administration official, Kelly was informed of the upcoming executive order before Trump’s inauguration and after his confirmation hearing.
Kelly also denied the immigration restrictions amounted to a “ban on Muslims.”
“Religious liberty is one of our most fundamental and treasured values,” he said. “This is a temporary pause that allows us to better review the existing refugee and visa vetting system.”
