Egypt Daily News – Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to exclude Egypt from a new travel ban, despite the suspect in a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, being an Egyptian national. Trump argued that Egypt was left off the list because of its strong partnership with the United States and its ability to manage internal security.
“Egypt has been a country that we deal with very closely. They have things under control. The countries that we have [on the ban list] don’t have things under control,” Trump told reporters during a briefing in the Oval Office on June 5.
The travel ban, which was announced on June 4, imposes partial or complete visa restrictions on nationals from 19 countries, most of which are in Africa or are Muslim-majority nations. The move came just days after the attack in Boulder, which Trump cited while introducing the policy.
The suspect in the Boulder incident, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is an Egyptian citizen who entered the U.S. on a tourist visa before overstaying his permitted stay and applying for asylum, according to federal authorities. Soliman allegedly carried out a stabbing at a pro-Israel event focused on raising awareness about Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The case is still under investigation.
Critics were quick to question the omission of Egypt from the ban, arguing it undercut the administration’s justification and further demonstrated what they say is the policy’s arbitrary and discriminatory nature.
Trump said the new restrictions were necessary to bolster national security and blamed the Biden administration for failing to prevent such individuals from entering or remaining in the country.
“We want to keep bad people out of our country,” Trump said. “The Biden administration allowed some horrendous people. We’re reversing that.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has implemented travel restrictions. His administration previously enacted a controversial travel ban in 2017 targeting several predominantly Muslim countries, which sparked legal challenges and protests before being upheld by the Supreme Court in a revised form.
The former president also pointed to Egypt’s role as a strategic partner in the Middle East as a factor in the decision. Egypt has played a key role in mediating between Israel and Hamas, particularly during the recent ceasefire negotiations, alongside Qatar and the United States.
The U.S. and Egypt have shared a military partnership since 1980, conducting joint exercises and maintaining regular diplomatic and security coordination. Egypt, under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi since 2014, remains a significant recipient of U.S. military aid and is viewed by Washington as a stabilizing force in the region.
The Egyptian embassy in Washington declined to comment when reached.
