Trump to State Dept. Officials Objecting to Muslim Ban: 'Get with the Program or… Go'

First of all, those objecting to a White House executive order which sowed “chaos, heartbreak, and resistance” at airports across the United States over the weekend are blowing things “out of proportion.” And secondly, those inside the government who oppose President Donald Trump’s blanket ban on guests, immigrants, and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries have just two choices at this point: get in line or get lost.

Those were the two key takeaways from remarks by White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday afternoon when asked to account for the controversial ban and a draft dissent cable put forth by State Departments employees, and obtained by news outlets, officially challenging the order.

The internal memo (pdf)—which is marked “sensitive but unclassified” and that dozens of career employees have or are expected to sign as a formal registration of dissent—argues that the hastily ordered ban “runs counter to core American values of nondiscrimination, fair play, and extending a warm welcome to foreign visitors and immigrants.”

As of Monday morning, reports the Washington Post, “edits and signatures were still being collected in advance of submitting the memo to State Department leadership.”

At an early afternoon press briefing, Spicer said the ban imposed by Trump has been “blown way out of proportion” and dismissed those challenging it, including any State Department officials who might back the dissent cable.