SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Is ISIS playing the long game as Trump tries travel bans?

May 9, 2017, 5:40 PM

Trump, isis...

Donald Trump. (AP file photo)

(AP file photo)

There are people I deeply respect who truly believe that President Donald Trump wants a Muslim ban. If I thought Trump really wanted to ban someone with a specific faith from coming into this country, I would be against the ban as well. But this is about ISIS.

A Muslim ban is not what Trump is trying to do.

RELATED: Why doesn’t America have an Iran policy?

There are 27 different databases used to investigate and track immigrants who remain in the country past the deadline of their temporary visas — 27! Because there are 27 different databases, names and addresses could be different for the same person in every one. That’s why they can only find .4 percent of the people that they need to find.

If you were running an international terrorist organization, like ISIS, wouldn’t you be keeping an eye on this? Couldn’t ISIS be playing the long game? Do you think they eventually want to get a whole bunch of their people here? Maybe they want to pull off a brutal attack in our country.

You can say all sorts of things about Trump’s travel ban, but you can’t say that it doesn’t make sense.

As always, please listen to the full audio clip for complete context.

People watch Old Trails Fire from W. Northwest Blvd., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Spokane, Wash. (AP...

Associated Press

Wind-driven wildfire prompts evacuations in eastern Washington

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A fast-moving wildfire driven by strong winds and high temperatures swept across northwest Spokane on Saturday before jumping the Spokane River and prompting the evacuation of thousands of people. The Old Trails Fire started around noon, burning brush and grass in an open area, but quickly spread north and east toward […]

1 hour ago

President Donald Trump, center, walks from Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morrist...

Associated Press

Saudi crown prince urges Trump not to escalate Iran war as US leader weighs new strikes: AP source

WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, in a phone call with President Donald Trump on Saturday raised concerns about the U.S. potentially escalating the conflict with Iran, according to a person familiar with the leaders’ discussion. The discussion, which was first reported on by Axios, comes as […]

2 hours ago

shooting Idaho In-N-Out burger...

REBECCA BOONE AND MARTHA BELLISLE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Multiple people dead after shooting at fast food restaurant in southern Idaho

A shooting at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in southern Idaho on Saturday afternoon left multiple people dead and others injured, police said.

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Multiple people injured in southern Idaho shooting

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — A shooting near a southern Idah shopping center left multiple people injured Saturday afternoon, authorities reported. Twin Falls County Commissioner Brent Reinke said Sheriff Jack Johnson told him five people were hurt in the shooting, which started at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant. While there were no immediate confirmations of deaths […]

4 hours ago

rain seafair aug. 1...

Tom Brock

Blue Angels cancel Saturday Seafair performance due to high winds

The U.S. Navy's precision flight team, the Blue Angels, had to cancel its Saturday performance at Seafair, due to high winds.

5 hours ago

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., speaks with voters following a Senate candidate stump event ahead of a...

Associated Press

Darline Graham promotes Trump’s agenda in her political debut ahead of special Senate primary

LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Sen. Darline Graham made her political debut before hundreds of Republican voters in South Carolina on Saturday, saying that she never envisioned a life in politics for herself until after the death of her brother Lindsey Graham, and now wants to work hard to promote the state and President Donald Trump’s […]

6 hours ago

Is ISIS playing the long game as Trump tries travel bans?