Carson:  Shouldn't Elect a Muslim President
SCIUTTO: Donald Trump fell eight points in today's CNN poll. Nevertheless, he is doubling down on his reaction to those anti-Muslim remarks from a supporter. This morning on NBC's "Meet the Press," he refused to concede that even President Obama is a Christian.</s>UNIDENTIFED MALE: Can you imagine supporting or being comfortable if a Muslim ever became president of the United States?</s>DONALD TRUMP (RD=), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can say that it's something that at some point could happen. We'll see. You know it's something that could happen. Would I be comfortable, I don't know if we have to address it right now. But I think it's certainly something that could happen.</s>UNIDENTIFED MALE: You said you had no problem putting -</s>TRUMP: Some people said it already happened, frankly. Of course, you wouldn't agree with that.</s>SCIUTTO: Now another Republican is saying that Muslims do not belong in the White House. Here's presidential hopeful Ben Carson.</s>UNIDENTIFED MALE: So do you believe that Islam is consistent with the Constitution?</s>BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, I do not. I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.</s>UNIDENTIFED MALE: Would you ever consider voting for Muslim for Congress?</s>CARSON: Congress is a different story. But it depends on who that Muslim is and what their policies are.</s>SCIUTTO: As it happens the U.S. currently has two sitting Muslim congressmen. They are democrats Andre Carson from Indiana and Keith Ellison from Minnesota, who just released this statement to CNN citing the first amendment. It reads in part "For Ben Carson, Donald Trump or any other Republican politician to suggest that someone of any faith is unfit for office is out of touch with who we are as a people. It's unimaginable that the leading GOP presidential candidates are resorting to fear mongering to benefit their campaigns." And this "And every Wmerican should be disturbed that these national figures are engaging in and tolerating blatant acts of religious bigotry." Joining me now to talk more about this is Attorney Brian Morgestern, he's a political strategist and Ellis Henican, he is a political columnist. Brian, I want to begin with you. Very strong words that these are "blatant acts of religious bigortry." Do you agree with that charaterization?</s>BRIAN MORGENSTERN, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: I could be spared the faux outrage from the left who routinely says that Christian politicians who embrace their faith are basically unfit for office. Hillary Clinton just a few weeks ago said that Republicans' views are akin to Islamic terrorists. It was Hillary Clinton supporters in 2008 who started the rumor that Barack Obama was a Kenyan Muslim. I mean, look, you can believe that it's the wrong thing to say but the faux outrage. Pease spare me.</s>SCIUTTO: I would disagree that it's faux outrage. I've spoken to Andre Carson. We have the statement from Keith Ellison there. They're both elected members of Congress. They don't seem to be faking it to me. To be fair, the comparison you're making not entirely equivalent. Because the comment was talking about Muslims being fit for elected office in a country of many faiths.</s>MORGENSTERN: Right.</s>SCIUTTO: How does that not equate with bigotry?</s>MORGENSTERN: Because the problem is when liberals say that conservatives who embrace their faith are unfit for office, they're doing the same thing but they refuse to acknowledge that. They think the door only swings one way. If you believe in religious liberty, which is a great thing to believe in, you should actually believe in it, you know, in different circumstances and not just when it helps you politically.</s>SCIUTTO: Ellis, I want to ask what do you think? Do you think that these comments or non-comments in many cases, refusals to criticize certain anti-Muslim remarks does that account to bigotry?</s>ELLIS HENICAN: Well, yes. It's horrible no matter who says it, Jim. Listen, there are certain charms of having inexperienced people run for high political officer, right? We've got some of these in this race. God, they say some dumb stuff. Don't they? It's hard to know whether Ben Carson just wasn't thinking. Whether Donald Trump really believes that or thinks it's a good way to pan to a certain part of the base. But my god, it's just so goes against everything that we believe as a people. But I guess this is the year for that and so we're likely to get some more of it.</s>SCIUTTO: Is there political benefit to that, Ellis, because you have Republicans, let's not make this an issue of Republican or Democrat but you have had, Republican presidents George W. Bush, nine days after 9/11, he made a point in his address to Congress, to say that this is a not a problem with the Muslim faith. Muslims, Arabs are our friends. You had John McCain in 2008, actively challenged a questioner who questioned President Obama's faith. Is there not, if you're running for office in a multi-cultural, multi religious denominational land like this to challenge that kind of thinking?</s>HENICAN: Listen, both things have happened at one, right. It's not 2001 or 2008 anymore. We do have to learn to live in a more diverse culture. At the same time that diversity, Jim, it has produced a lot of anxiety out there. I got to tell you, I think a big part of the engine that's propelling Trump is that exact anxiety. He's been very focused in playing at it, I would say.</s>SCIUTTO: I want for sake of argument to discuss this, to just toss quickly to a comment from Donald Trump in an interview with our Jake Tapper this morning on "State of the Union" on this issue. Let's have a listen.</s>JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: This man said "we have a problem in this country. It's called Muslims." Now, you're not responsible for what he says. But this is raw, unvarnished, ignorant bigotry. You're a leader, you're the front-runner in the Republican race. Do you not have a responsibility to call out this hatred?</s>TRUMP: Well, you know, we could be politically correct if you want. But certainly, are you trying to say we don't have a problem because I think everybody would agree. I have friends that are Muslims. They are great people, amazing people and most Muslims like most everything, these are fabulous people but we certainly do have a problem. You have a problem throughout the world.</s>TAPPER: What's the problem?</s>TRUMP: Well, you have radicals that are doing things. It wasn't people from Sweden that blew up the World Trade Center, Jake.</s>SCIUTTO: Brian, you heard Donald Trump's comments there. Is that what this is about purely Islamic extremists, the danger of terrorism or is there something broader?</s>MORGENTSEN: Well, I think that is the real issue. I think that when Donald Trump didn't speak up when that commenter said something stupid. Again, I don't blame Donald Trump for that either but it would have been helpful if under the circumstances he had corrected him and said no, no, the problem is violent Islamic terrorism not Muslims at large. It's easy to get caught up in generalizations which is the real problem here. It's radical Islam. Not Islam. It's illegal immigration that Trump talks about, not immigration in general. When you allow the muddy water to exist as opposed to drawing sharp distinctions, which are very important ones, you end up offending people. So that's why he is constantly on TV speaking out making sure that people are getting the correct version of his message as opposed to the distorted generalizations.</s>SCIUTTO: Ellis, I have to ask you, Ellis, because Muslims hear something different from these comments. They just don't hear talk of the very real threat of Islamic extremism in this country, they hear their faith being painted with a broad brushed and they're just not folks on the street, it's Islamic members of congress such as Keith Ellison there, for instance. Do you think it's fair to say that Donald Trump, Ben Carson is just talking about Islamic extremism or are you concerned that there an attempt to appeal to part of the base who has negative, bigoted view of Muslims?</s>HENICAN: Listen, there's an audience for this garbage. I mean, there's no doubt about that. In the same way that Mexicans feel like hey, was he talking about me when he says how many of us are rapists and criminals and drug dealers. Definitely, listen, politics operates on several levels at once, right. You're talking to your supporters who understand the code words. If you're good at it, you will avoid trouble with the others. These folks are just frankly just a little too amateurish about it to play one game without (tripping off) to another game.</s>SCIUTTO: I want to thank you for your thoughts on this. Please stick with us because we want to hear what you think about the new CNN poll for the 2016 Race, Donald Trump down, Carly Fiorina is up. But first, we just got this picture in from Cuba. This is Pope Francis meeting with Fidel Castro. It's a historic moment, as there is a handshake. We'll talk more about that ahead with Chris Cuomo, who is live in Havana. We're back in just a moment.