Mr Trump now calls the Muslim ban "a suggestion"
Republican
presidential candidate Donald Trump appears to have softened his stance
on temporarily barring Muslims from travelling to the US.
Responding to remarks by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Mr Trump told Fox News Radio the ban was "just a suggestion".
Mr
Khan has expressed concern that he would not be able to travel to the
US under a Trump administration because of his Muslim faith.
Mr Trump had offered to make an "exception" for Mr Khan.
Mr
Khan refused Mr Trump's offer, saying the New York businessman's views
were "ignorant" and would make the UK and the US "less safe".
Mr Trump proposed a ban on Muslims entering the US after attacks in Paris killed 130 people last year.
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The suggested ban has been widely criticised in the US and
abroad but Mr Trump until now has stood by the proposal, saying it was
needed to ensure US security.
"It's a temporary ban. It hasn't
been called for yet," Mr Trump said on Wednesday. "This is just a
suggestion until we find out what's going on."
Mr Trump has shifted positions in the past on a variety of issues only to change his stance days later.
Analysis: Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter
It's likely no coincidence that Donald Trump has
softened the rhetoric surrounding his call for a sweeping ban on Muslim
immigration into the US on the eve of his closely watched Washington
meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan.
When Mr Trump first unveiled his proposal, Mr Ryan's response was short and sharp.
"This is not conservatism," he said.
At
the time Mr Ryan's voice was just one of many in the Republican
establishment condemning what seemed an extremely controversial proposal
from the New York businessman.
Now Mr Trump is the presumptive
nominee, and that Republican establishment has been moving - grudgingly -
toward backing their new standard-bearer. Mr Ryan has been a holdout,
however, saying he wants evidence that Mr Trump shares conservative
values and principles.
Mr Trump's latest rhetorical swivel could
be an olive branch to the speaker - and, perhaps, a fig leaf allowing Mr
Ryan to eventually offer his support.
He has often given conflicting accounts on issues
including his tax plan, abortion and transgender people accessing public
toilets.
This flexibility has led to concerns among Republican Party leaders about his candidacy.
Top Republicans including House Speaker Paul Ryan have said they are not ready to support Mr Trump in the general election.
Mr Trump will meet Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Mr Ryan and others on Thursday in an attempt to resolve differences.
Also
on Wednesday, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and
Mitt Romney - who ran against President Barack Obama in 2012 -
separately raised questions about Mr Trump's tax returns.
Mr Trump has so far refused to release his tax records - a common practice among presidential nominees. Mrs Clinton has posted her past eight tax returns on her website.
"It
is disqualifying for a modern-day presidential nominee to refuse to
release tax returns to the voters, especially one who has not been
subject to public scrutiny in either military or public service," Mr Romney said.
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