SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — A Muslim civil rights group is blasting President Donald Trump and his administration, saying his words and policies led to a sharp increase in attacks and bias against American Muslims in 2017.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said Monday the number of reported anti-Muslim hate crimes and reported incidents of discrimination, bullying, harassment and other acts of bias against Muslims both jumped 15 percent in 2017. The group blames the increase on the president, particularly his push to ban immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries.

The report says, "Trump's xenophobic rhetoric ... emboldened those who sought to express their anti-Muslim bias and provided a veneer of legitimacy to bigotry."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.