WASHINGTON: United States President-elect Donald Trump has condemned the attack at a Christmas market in Berlin as "an attack against humanity."
While talking to reporters on Wednesday, he reaffirmed his Muslim ban stance, after he was asked whether the recent violence has influenced his proposed Muslim ban.
"What's happening is disgraceful," Trump said, adding that he has not talked to President Barack Obama since the Berlin attack or the assassination of a Russian ambassador in Turkey, both of which took place on Monday.
Trump said that the attacks this week in Berlin and Ankara proved he was correct to propose curbing Muslim immigration. "What's going on is terrible, terribleYou know my plans. All along, I've been proven to be right. 100 percent correct," he said.
Militant group Islamic State (IS), also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh, has claimed responsibility for the Berlin killings though US officials say they had seen no evidence that the militant group had directed the attack.
On Monday, Trump issued a statement about the Berlin attack in which he said that Islamic State and other militants continually slaughter Christians in their communities and places of worship as part of their global jihad.
However, when asked about his reference to Christians, the president-elect on Wednesday appeared to soften his response: Its an attack on humanity, and its gotta be stopped.
Current and former US officials had reacted with dismay to Trumps original language, saying it could inflame anti-Western sentiment among Muslims and erode cooperation from Muslim communities that they view as central to quashing such attacks.
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