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Donald Trump would ‘love to help’ with the refugee crisis, but says US has its own problems

The business magnate appeared to contradict comments he made in a separate interview

Heather Saul
Friday 11 September 2015 02:47 EDT
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Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up during Republican presidential debate. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up during Republican presidential debate. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

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The refugee crisis has moved the public and politicians globally, with leaders in Britain, Germany and other countries vowing to accept a quota of those fleeing death and persecution.

But Donald Trump seemed less moved by the plight of thousands of families when asked if he would consider accepting any into the US by Fox News host Sean Hannity.

"From a humanitarian standpoint, I’d love to help, but we have our own problems," he told Hannity. "We have so many problems that we have to solve.

“You have the Gulf States, tremendously wealthy, five groups of people, six groups - they’re not taking anybody. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain - these are tremendously wealthy - they’re not taking anybody!

"Russia’s not taking, nobody’s taking. We’re supposed to take? We have to straighten out our own problems. If Obama would have gone across the line that he drew, the artificial line in the sand that he drew, you wouldn't have this problem in the first place."

His comments appeared to contradict the more welcoming stance he demonstrated when appearing the O’Reilly Factor on Tuesday night, where he said the US should take in Syrian refugees.

Watch the full exchange below.

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