White House says Donald Trump's comments on Muslims disqualify him from presidency

Painting Trump as a "carnival barker" with "fake hair" whose campaign has a "dustbin of history" quality, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said "what Donald Trump said yesterday disqualifies him from serving as president."

Washington: The White House on Tuesday challenged Republicans to denounce their party`s presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, claiming his proposal to ban Muslims from travelling to the US should disqualify him from being commander-in-chief.

Painting Trump as a "carnival barker" with "fake hair" whose campaign has a "dustbin of history" quality, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Trump`s proposals were unconstitutional. 

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"What Donald Trump said yesterday disqualifies him from serving as president," said Earnest, describing his comments variously as "offensive" and "toxic."

The unusually strident language from the White House reflects a concern about the impact of Trump`s comments on US Muslims and the fight against the Islamic State group, but it also indicates the White House spies a political opportunity ahead of the 2016 election.

Earnest was quick to pounce on leading Republicans who condemned Trump`s remarks, but said they would still support him if he were the party nominee.

"What he said is disqualifying and any Republican who`s too fearful of the Republican base to admit it has no business serving as president either," he said.