“Americans don’t ban an entire religion because the lack of leadership of one president,” DeMint told “@This Hour” Wednesday. “It really does come down to a lack of leadership. People are fearful and frustrated. The president has been unwilling to identify the problem and to present a plan.”

However, when pressed once by co-host Kate Bolduan on Trump specifically, DeMint said the the proposal is “certainly not” the right course of action before setting his sights on Obama.

“Certainly not. It’s not, and that’s not who we are as Americans,” DeMint said. “But I understand people’s frustration when they’re not getting a solution and some plan that they can feel some comfort in.”