Sen. Angus King said the Trump administration’s controversial travel ban is “the worst foreign policy decision” since the US invaded Iraq.
“It will make America much more dangerous,” he told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Tuesday on “New Day.” “I think this is probably the worst foreign policy decision since the invasion of Iraq. What it’s done is played right into ISIS’ hands.”
The President’s executive order on immigration blocks citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for 90 days. It also suspends the admission of all refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees indefinitely.
The Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats is on the Intelligence Committee and said he spends most of his time focused on how international affairs impact the US.
He said the President’s ban advances ISIS’ goals.
“They want us to turn this into a war of the west against Islam. They have explicitly said they want to drive a wedge between peaceful, nonviolent Muslims and the West, particularly America,” King said.
“Over the weekend there were all kind of excited communications from ISIS about what a great thing Donald Trump had done for them.”
Critics of the ban said that it was formed without consulting homeland security officials or other officials including the secretary of defense or the Justice Department.
“It’s a disaster from the point of view of national security,” King said. “This was done in the dark of night at the White House. no consultation with anybody, and terrible process, terrible results.”
Trump’s latest move helped solidify King’s views on secretary of state and attorney general, when it comes to national security.
“I’m going to vote for Rex Tillerson in spite of some significant reservations about ExxonMobil and about his ties to Russia because I think he will give the president the kind of independent advice that he needs and he’s a guy that doesn’t need the job,” he said.
The same concerns are why King said he won’t vote for his Senate colleague Jeff Sessions for attorney general .
“He’s a friend. I’ve worked with him here. we really have gotten along very well, but I’m not voting to confirm a friend,” King said. “I’m voting to confirm somebody who i think has to stand up to the President and say, ‘This is wrong.'”
“Just in my gut, because of his relationship with Mr. Trump and his history, I’m just not sure he would give the kind of independent advice that this President desperately needs,” he said.