Trump touts travel ban, pledges support to Britain in wake of London situation

By Karl de Vries, CNN
Updated 7:47 PM ET, Sat June 3, 2017

Story highlights

Trump's tweet on the travel ban did not explicitly refer to the London situation
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to consider the travel ban's legality

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump touted his so-called travel ban Saturday in the wake of reports that people were hit by a van and stabbed in London, while also pledging assistance to Britain.

Without referring explicitly to the London situation, Trump wrote on his personal account: "We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!"
Eight minutes later, he tweeted, "Whatever the United States can do to help out in London and the U. K., we will be there - WE ARE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS!"

Earlier, Trump retweeted the Drudge Report when it referred to "fears of a new terror attack," although the nature of the incidents was not immediately confirmed by authorities. Shortly after Trump tweeted, British Prime Minister Theresa May said the incident was being treated as a "potential act of terrorism."

A van mowed down pedestrians as it sped down London Bridge in the British capital Saturday night, leaving bodies lying in the roadway, a witness to the incident told CNN.

Also Saturday, a man with a "massive knife" entered a restaurant at Borough Market, just south of the bridge, and stabbed two people inside, a witness told CNN on Saturday. The patrons sheltered in the basement and police have arrived at the scene, the witness said. The conditions of the stabbed people was not known.

Trump's travel ban -- which, among other things, would temporarily block entry into the US from six Muslim-majority countries -- has been blocked by a number of federal court decisions. On Thursday, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to allow the ban to go into the effect while the court considers its legality.

CNN's Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/03/politi...on-travel-ban/