Newt Gingrich: Politician who almost became Donald Trump's VP calls for Muslim deportation after Nice attack

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One of Donald Trump's top picks for vice president has demanded the government deport Muslims who follow Shariah law following an attack in France which left 84 people dead.

Just hours after a lone lorry driver killed scores of people in Nice during Bastille Day celebrations, former house speaker Newt Gingrich told Fox News that he is “happy” with "modern Muslims" who do not follow Shariah law but all other Muslims should not be allowed to stay in the US.

“Western civilization is in a war,” he said.

"We should frankly test every person here who is of a Muslim background, and if they believe in Sharia, they should be deported. Sharia is incompatible with Western civilization.”

Fox News host Sean Hannity said he “wholeheartedly agreed” with Mr Gingrich’s claims.

They both agreed that they would blame president Barack Obama for “lacking the guts to do what is right” - and Mr Hannity questioned whether the US government could ascertain if incoming refugees "really wanted to assimilate".

Mr Gingrich responded that the government must ask refugees “questions” and monitor their internet activity, mosques, the madrasas and "expel" Shariah schools.

“We're like sheep wondering why the wolves keep killing us. These people are opposed to our way of life,” he said.

“And, again, I just want to cite, because it's so remarkable, I mean Daniel Silva's new book, "The Black Widow", which is a novel, the opening couple of chapters are so scary in being exactly what you just saw tonight in Nice, that I can't recommend it too highly,” he added.

Donald Trump has postponed formally announcing his running mate for the 2016 presidential election in the wake of the attack in Nice.

Mr Trump first made his call to ban Muslims from the US last November, shortly after the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Mr Gingrich’s comments were condemned by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

“When former House Speaker Newt Gingrich suggests that American Muslims be subjected to an Inquisition-style religious test and then expelled from their homes and nation, he plays into the hands of terror recruiters and betrays the American values he purports to uphold,” said CAIR national executive director, Nihad Awad.