A controversial statement on Muslim immigration was deleted from the Trump campaign site just minutes after it was brought up in the White House press briefing.
Transcript for Trump administration defends travel ban, saying barring Muslims is not intent
us off, thank you. Sally Yates making news over her warnings involving retired general Michael Flynn. As you’ll remember, she was fired after she refused to enforce president trump’s travel ban. She believed the ban was unconstitutional. She was pressed on that today. Who appointed you to the United States supreme court? That determines — isn’t it a court of final jurisdiction? Not personally wrestled over this decision. And it was not one that I took lightly at all. I believe that it is the responsibility of the attorney general, if the president asks him or her to do something, that he or she believes is unlawful or unconstitutional, to say no. Sally Yates testifying about her role, standing up to the proposed ban and getting fired because of it. The president’s first version of that plan was blocked by the courts. Will it survive this time? At issue, this question. Should the president’s words while he was on the campaign trail matter in determining his true intention for the temporary ban? Here’s ABC’s senior white house correspondent scecilia Vega tonight. Reporter: In a Virginia appellate court today, one of president trump’s most controversial campaign promises came back to haunt him. Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on. Reporter: Plaintiffs say that is proof the president’s travel ban temporarily restricting people from six majority-muslim countries, at its heart, is a Muslim ban. Lawyers for the trump administration argue the president’s statements before election day don’t count. Generally they should not get much weight because you have not taken the oath of office to uphold the constitution, you haven’t formed an administration or consulted with them. Reporter: But some of the 13 judges skeptical. Are you saying then the president could say that every day as a candidate for a year, « I intend to ban muslims. They are bad people, » and then the first day in office he does that — you have to — you’re saying that none of those statements could be considered? Reporter: Another judge weighing in — He’s never repudiated what he said about the Muslim ban. It is still on his website. Reporter: Why does the president’s website still explicitly call for, quote, « Preventing Muslim immigration »? I’m not aware what’s on the campaign website, you’d have to ask them. Reporter: If the president’s words are being used against him in court today, is it worth you clarifying that once and for all? Yeah, I’m — I’m trying to figure out why I would — I’ve been very clear — I don’t think I need to clarify what we have said or what the president has said. Reporter: And within minutes of our question, that Muslim ban statement, wiped from the site. Back in February, when the courts first put the executive order on hold, the president warned potential terrorists would pour into the country. And have you seen any evidence that’s been the case in the three months since this ban was lifted? Think that’s a question for the department of homeland security. And Cecilia Vega is with us tonight. We heard Sean spicer say, you should ask the department of homeland security. And so you did. What did they tell you? Reporter: They said, unfortunately, this information is not readily available. We do not expect a ruling on this travel ban case for a few weeks. David, it appears headed all the oui to the supreme court. All right, Cecilia Vega with us tonight. Cecilia, thank you.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
