'Filled with lies': NY Times issues no-holds-barred takedown of 'odious' Trump insult

The New York Times called out President Donald Trump's administration for fomenting anti-Muslim hatred.

Trump's White House holds itself up as a champion of religious freedom — "I’ve done more for religion than any other president," Trump recently boasted at the National Prayer Breakfast — but the Times' editorial board chided him and his Republican allies for their open hostility toward Islam.

"Their words are odious," the editors wrote. "As a presidential candidate, Mr. Trump called for a 'Muslim ban' on entry to the United States, and a version of it remains in effect. 'I think Islam hates us,' he has said. Several other Republican politicians have made similar statements in recent months."

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) called Islam a "cult," not a religion, and Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) called the faith "incompatible with our culture," while Reps. Randy Fine (R-FL) and Andy Ogles (R-TN) demanded the expulsion of Muslims from the U.S.

"The millions of Americans who practice Islam are just as American as anyone else," the editorial board wrote. "They pay taxes, own businesses and serve in the armed forces. Many have been here for generations. Others upended their lives to move here, in some cases because of this country’s constitutional protection of religious freedom."

Anti-Muslim hate has spiked since Trump's return to the White House and has been exacerbated by his decision to launch a joint U.S.-Israeli military strike on Iran, and the Times editorial board said it was hurting Americans.

"In an editorial last year decrying the surge of antisemitism, we emphasized that not all accusations of discrimination are legitimate," the board wrote. "Criticism of the current Israeli government for its brutal treatment of Palestinians, for example, is not inherently antisemitic. The same principle applies to other subjects. Radical Islamists continue to carry out violent acts of terrorism, including recent attacks in New York, Texas and Virginia. Denouncing them is important, not bigoted."

"A fundamental American principle is that people should be judged by their behavior, not their identity," the editors added. "Mr. Trump and too many other Republicans are instead besmirching an entire faith even as they claim to protect religious freedom ... The attacks against Islam and Muslims from Mr. Trump and other Republicans are shameful. They are filled with lies. They deserve denunciation from all Americans, regardless of politics or religion."