Trump's Muslim comments 'over the line,' two local GOP leaders say

Leaders of two Beaufort County Republican groups said earlier this week they believed GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent comments on Muslim refugees stepped over the line, but both said they don't expect Trump's surging popularity to take an immediate hit from the public outcry over his plan.

But a Hilton Head Island lawyer at the forefront of efforts to block refugee resettlements in South Carolina said she agreed with Trump's plan -- and added that all refugees should be barred until the government's vetting process could be overhauled.

Trump's call to block Muslims from entering the country has been criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike since his announcement Monday, including local criticism by S.C. Republican Party chairman Matt Moore and Gov. Nikki Haley.

Several presidential rivals have also denounced Trump's announcement, with Jeb Bush calling Trump "unhinged" and his policy proposals "not serious."

But Beaufort Republican Party chairman Jim Riordan said he didn't expect Trump's support to waver, as the businessman-turned-political challenger has built his campaign on pushing up against the boundaries of what a candidate can say.

"Mr. Trump has made his mark," Riordan said. "He's extremely outspoken and he's really tapped into the anxiety and anger of the greater population. Sometimes what he says is outrageous, and other times he's right on the money, but I think he's stepped over the line on this. He pushes the boundaries, there's no question about that."

Greater Bluffton Republican Club president Joseph Iaco said Trump's announcement raised "strong points on the threat that comes with allowing people into this country," but said he felt Trump's call to block Muslims was inappropriate.

"I'm personally against what (Trump) said," Iaco said. "It's a little bit of a harsh alternative and does not mesh with our history of how we treat people coming to this country."

Iaco and Riordan said they agreed with calls for more personal vetting of potential refugees other candidates have made.

Hilton Head Island attorney Lauren Martel attended Trump's speech on the U.S.S. Yorktown in Mount Pleasant Monday soon after his announcement. She said Tuesday she believed the current refugee process "lacks integrity" and needed to be temporarily stopped, much like it was after the Sept. 11 attacks, so it could be overhauled.

"He will do a good job," she said. "He doesn't make that statement in a bubble. It's clear he did some serious homework before he came up with that statement. Most candidates are being briefed on soundbites."

Martel made similar statements to CNN and MSNBC while waiting in line for Trump's campaign event Monday.

"That's a very prudent idea, and I think he's done due diligence when he makes that statement," Martel told CNN. "We have to protect our American citizens first, and the vetting process and the whole program lacks integrity."

In a voiceover, CNN reporter Randi Kaye quickly cut Martel off, saying her statement was untrue and calling the refugee vetting process "vigorous." On MSNBC, Martel also offered support for Trump's plan.

"I think that it is a very wise decision made very prudently after due diligence and I am very impressed with the fact that he's bold enough to come out and do that," she said.

The Hilton Head attorney has been at the forefront of efforts to block refugee resettlement in the state. In August, she sent a cease-and-desist letter on behalf of a Spartanburg County woman to the U.S. State Department to block resettlement there.

Martel called the refugee resettlement program a "crazy rollercoaster ride" and said she felt not enough of the refugee vetting process had changed post-9/11 for it to be safe. She said religious organizations and state social service departments were ill-equipped to handle the refugees and find possible threats, and was critical of federal law blocking the organizations from proselytizing, or attempting to convert, the refugees.

"We have to be vigilant," she said. "The refugee program is a crazy rollercoaster ride set to crash and burn."

Even as the Republican Party calls its support of Trump into question, Iaco and Riordan said they do not expect him to go anywhere soon.

Iaco said changes to the Republican primaries could mean Trump staying in the presidential race well into the spring, as primaries held after March 15 will award delegates on a winner-take-all basis--a change made by the party in 2014 to speed up the candidate selection process.

If the Republican Party does move to pick a different candidate, Trump has hinted at a possible run as an independent in a tweet Tuesday as the backlash to his earlier announcement grew.

But with Trump speaking to the fears of many Americans, it may not come to that.

"People are afraid and Donald Trump is tapping into that fear," Riordan said. "He reads the public very well. He's talking through a segment of the population that are afraid about the way things are going in our country."

Follow reporter Matt McNab at twitter.com/IPBG_Matt.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Trump's Muslim comments 'over the line,' two local GOP leaders say."