Amal Clooney eloquently undermines Donald Trump's controversial Muslim ban speech
Amal took one of Trump's most infamous speeches to task
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.While garnering an increasing number of supporters as he edges closer towards securing the Republican nomination, Donald Trump has also amassed his fair share of detractors.
Amal Clooney became his latest critic on Tuesday when she took a moment to highlight flaws in some of Trump’s most controversial claims in recent months. Amal, a human rights lawyer who is married to George Clooney, criticised him as he prepared to outline what his principal foreign policies would be should he be elected to the White House in November.
He has pledged to temporarily ban Muslims from coming into the US and has repeatedly vowed to build a “big, beautiful wall” on the border with Mexico to curb illegal immigration.
Amal specialises in public international law, international criminal law and human rights at London's Doughty Street Chambers. She led an international delegation attempting to secure the release of the former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, stood before Europe's top human rights court to represent Armenia in their case against Doğu Perinçek, the leader of the Turkish Workers’ Party, and she recently represented convicted Canadian Mohamed Fahmy in Egypt.
Amal called out Trump's decisive rhetoric in an interview with the BBC, where she was speaking about her latest case representing Azerbaijan reporter Khadija Ismayilova at the European Court of Human Rights.
“When you listen to what the leading candidate on the Republican side has been saying about building walls, about excluding Mexicans, and saying there has to be a complete shutdown on all Muslims coming in,” she said.
“If you actually look at what he specifically says in that now-infamous speech about Muslims, he kept saying, 'They only want jihad … they don't believe in our way of life; they don't respect our system.' And when he says ‘they’… And, you know, you watch the media coverage afterwards and people should've been saying, 'Do you mean the 1.5 billion people around the world who fit that description? Do you mean the people who are US citizens, who are members of your military, the vast majority of whom are not extremist or violent in any way?'"
The billionaire business mogul has already declared himself the “presumptive Republican nominee” after winning in five crucial contests, placing him well ahead of his rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich in the contest for the party's candidacy.
He courted controversy once again after Tuesday’s primaries by suggesting Hillary Clinton was “playing the woman card” in her campaign for the Democratic nomination.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments