WASHINGTON – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has suggested testing all US Muslims to see if they believe in “Sharia,” and deporting those who do.

Gingrich’s comments follow an attack in the French city of Nice, which has killed at least 84 people.

His comments echo the sentiments of Donald Trump, who has said Muslims should be banned from entering the US.

“Western civilisation is in a war. We should frankly test every person here who is of a Muslim background and if they believe in Sharia they should be deported,”

 Gingrich told Fox News.

“Sharia is incompatible with western civilisation. Modern Muslims who have given up Sharia, glad to have them as citizens. Perfectly happy to have them next door,” he added.

Hours earlier, a driver, identified by French media as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, rammed a lorry through a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day before he was shot dead by police.

Witnesses say the 31-year-old French Tunisian swerved the vehicle in an attempt to hit more people.

Police reportedly discovered guns and grenades inside the lorry.

No group has claimed responsibility but French President Francois Hollande described the tragedy as a terror attack.

Mr Gingrich was in the frame as running mate to likely Republican nominee Mr Trump before Indiana Governor Mike Pence was asked.

He also suggested monitoring US mosques and jailing anyone who visits websites favouring a terror group.

“Anybody who goes on a website favouring Isis, or al-Qaeda, or other terrorist groups, that should be a felony, and they should go to jail,” he added.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the attack in Nice as well as the former House Speaker’s comments.

CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awaid said Gingrich’s suggestion that American Muslims be subjected to an “Inquisition-style religious test” plays into the hands of terror recruiters and “betrays American values”.