(CNN) Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, falsely claimed Thursday that Trump's travel ban was never linked to a particular religious group during the campaign.
In a press release from December 2015 titled "DONALD J. TRUMP STATEMENT ON PREVENTING MUSLIM IMMIGRATION," Trump called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."
Nevertheless, Gorka told Breitbart News Daily radio, "There is not one instance on the campaign trail or after the President took office in which the travel suspension was mentioned without reference to national security -- it was never mentioned, 'we're doing this because of a certain religious group.'"
"In every single instance, every campaign speech, every statement out of the White House after January 20th this measure was linked to the security of the United States," Gorka continued. "National security is the prerogative of the commander in chief and immigration, including immigration standards and the issuance of visas is not a local, is not a federal, is not a judicial function. It is a function of the White House and the executive arm."
On Wednesday, a federal judge in Hawaii issued a nationwide halt on Trump's revised travel ban order, citing statements Trump made during the presidential campaign about Muslims.
The administration has said it plans to appeal rulings blocking the revised travel ban.
Gorka said, "This attempt to block a national security executive order will fail."