Nigel Farage was embroiled in an explosive row on daytime television this lunchtime over President Donald Trump’s Muslim refugee ban.
The former Ukip leader clashed with Loose Women presenter Saira Khan as she passionately explained her frustration at the immediate association of Muslims and terrorists.
Asked how he might feel if someone were to attack a Muslim person as a result of his rhetoric, Farage brushed aside her concerns, saying: “I could throw that back at you.”
Read the transcript of the fiery exchange, below, and watch the clip, above.
Asked if Britain should issue a ban similar to that initiated by Trump, Farage said: “No I don’t. I think we should be vetting anyone who comes into this country to ensure they haven’t got a criminal record and they speak the language.”
And Farage took exception to the phrase “ban” in the programme, saying: “Look let’s get this right. I have to say the BBC have been pushing out ‘ban, ban, ban’. It’s not a ban, it’s a 90 day suspension whilst he puts into place proper vetting measures.
“The seven countries that are affected aren’t even the biggest Muslim countries in the world - the biggest ones aren’t even included.”
President Trump’s Executive Order was issued on Friday, and mandated that immigrants from seven countries, including Iraq, Syria and Somalia, should be refused access to the US until vetting procedures can be reviewed.
The order provoked widespread protests at airports in the US and on the streets of London, Edinburgh and Brighton in the UK.
The directive has since been paused by several US state attorneys general and on Monday it was announced Trump had sacked the acting US attorney general for refusing to defend his order.