When Gorbah Hamed, an uncommitted Missouri voter, addressed presidential nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton at Sunday night’s debate, she asked how the election of either candidate would affect people like her, who are Muslim and American.
“There are 3.3 million Muslims in the United States, and I’m one of them,” Hamed said. “You’ve mentioned working with Muslim nations, but with Islamophobia on the rise, how will you help people like me deal with the consequences of being labeled as a threat to the country after the election is over?”
Trump’s response focused on the need for Muslim Americans to report to authorities any activities they become aware of that may be linked to terror.
“We have to be sure that Muslims come in and report when they see something going on,” Trump said. “When they see hatred going on, they have to report it.”
Referring to the shooting massacre in San Bernardino in 2015, the Republican candidate alleged that “many people saw the bombs all over the apartment” of the couple, Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, before they killed 14 and injured 22 others — a claim that the Los Angeles Times said has been refuted.
“Muslims have to report the problems when they see them,” Trump said.
His comments sparked a frenzy of tweets, many of them laced with humor, under what became one of the most popular hashtags from the debate — #MuslimsReportStuff.
In her response to the same question at the debate, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said Muslim Americans want to feel a part of the country and that the U.S. needs their help in combating terrorism.
“We need American Muslims to be part of our eyes and ears on our front lines,” Clinton said. “I’ve worked with a lot of different Muslim groups around America. I’ve met with a lot of them, and I’ve heard how important it is for them to feel that they are wanted and included and part of our country, part of our homeland security, and that’s what I want to see.