In a U-turn, a top Republican leader has said that his comments on expulsion from the US of Muslims who believe in Sharia law were "amazing distortions" by the media.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in France that killed 84 people, had told a US news channel that there was a need to test American Muslims.
"Western civilization is in a war. We should, frankly, test every person here who is of a Muslim background, and if they believe in Sharia, they should be deported. Sharia is incompatible with Western civilization," Gingrich told Fox News in an interview.
"Modern Muslims who have given up Sharia? Glad to have them as citizens. Perfectly happy to have them next door. But we need to be fairly relentless about defining who our enemies are," he said yesterday.
The White House slammed the statement with President Barack Obama saying such remarks are "repugnant."
"I am sick and tired of being told that the wealthiest, most powerful civilization in history - all of Western civilization - is helpless in the face of a group of medieval barbarians," Gingrich said.
In a series of tweets later, Gingrich backtraced and said his interview with had been distorted.
"Amazing distortions of my interview on Hannity last night. I will do a lengthy Facebook live later this morning on the issue of sharia," Gingrich said in a tweet.
"We clearly need three patterns dealing with Islamist terrorism: for people seeking to get into America, those with green cards, for citizens," he said in another tweet.
The hysteria of the "media overreaction" to my comments on the Nice attack is very revealing. Watch "my Facebook live later today," Gingrich tweeted.
"We have an obligation to design a system which preempts murdering Americans," he said appearing on Facebook Live later in the day.
Gingrich also called for monitoring of mosques for signs of jihadists.
"Let me be very clear. You have to monitor the mosques. I mean if you're not prepared to monitor the mosques, this whole thing is a joke. Where do you think the primary source of recruitment is? Where do you think the primary place of indoctrination is?" he asked.
"Anybody who goes on a website favoring ISIS or Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, that should be a felony, and they should go to jail," he said.
The White House described his statements as un-American.
"It sounds like he may need to consult his copy of the pocket Constitution as well. Our nation was founded on the principle that this is a country where people could choose to worship as they please, without harassment from the government. And that is a principle that is enshrined in our Constitution, and one that the President believes is worth protecting," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.
