Politics & Government

Watch Live Stream: Donald Trump, in Ohio Rally, to Propose Ideological Tests for Immigrants: Report

Donald Trump has plans to institute an ideological test for immigrants to assess whether or not they believe in "American values."

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is expected on Monday to propose ideological tests for new immigrants to determine whether people looking to enter the country support American values, such as religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights.

Trump plans to present the proposal — which also includes combing social media and interviewing friends and family members — during an address in Youngstown, Ohio, according to the Associated Press, which first reported on the plan. The campaign says the test seeks values such as tolerance and pluralism as a way to protect Americans from ISIS and other terrorist organizations, if not defeat them altogether.

"Mr. Trump's speech will explain that while we can’t choose our friends, we must always recognize our enemies," Trump campaign senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said Sunday, adding that Trump "will outline his vision for defeating radical Islamic terrorism, and explain how the policies of Obama-Clinton are responsible for the rise of ISIS and the spread of barbarism that has taken the lives of so many."

Find out what's happening in Across Americafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Watch the live stream of Donald Trump's remarks in Ohio at 2 p.m. ET.

In his address on combating terrorism and defeating ISIS, Trump will also "describe the need to temporarily suspend visa issuances to geographic regions with a history of exporting terrorism and where adequate checks and background vetting cannot occur," Miller added.

Find out what's happening in Across Americafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Last year, the New York businessman routinely called for a ban on all Muslims wanting to enter the U.S.

"Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," a campaign press release said last December.

Tests like the one Trump will propose on Monday does not sit well with many voters, especially millennials who are decidedly anti-Trump in recent polling.

A new USA TODAY/Rock the Vote poll released on Sunday night finds that Trump is heading toward the worst showing among younger voters in American history. According to the survey, Clinton leads Trump 56 percent to 20 percent among expected voters under the age of 35.

"I get worried about the bigoted element of our country, and that they will stick with Trump regardless of his stupidity," Elizabeth Krueger, 31, a New York City actress who was among those surveyed.

In recent national polling, Clinton leads head-to-head match-ups against Trump, with the Democrat holding 47.8 percent support compared to 41 percent for the New York businessman, according to averages compiled by RealClear Politics.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.