U.S. President Donald Trump faced criticism and claims that he undercut his own stalled travel order pending before the Supreme Court by saying it is "watered down" and "politically correct" and should have been "tougher."
Pointing to the terrorist attack in London over the weekend, Trump said on Twitter on June 5 that "we need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!"
White House adviser Kellyanne Conway's husband said on Twitter that Trump's comments won't help the U.S. Justice Department defend the order as the court determines whether it complies with the U.S. Constitution.
George Conway, an attorney who Trump has considered appointing to top slots in the department, said Trump's comments "may make some people feel better," but won't help win a majority of justices on the court, which "is what actually matters."
By calling the executive order he signed in March a "travel ban," Trump also contradicted Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, who last month insisted that the order is "not a travel ban."
Trump's order, which has been suspended pending court review, aims to temporarily halt entry to the United States by citizens of six predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Syria.