Trump again roiled the presidential campaign late Wednesday, telling a rally in Florida that Obama “is the founder of ISIS”.
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“Our government isn’t giving us good protection”.
Warrick also said that while some have blamed the Obama administration for ISIS’s proliferation, it’s not that simple.
Trump called Obama and Hillary the founders of ISIS. Senior Republican Sean Duffy said Obama and Clinton did not found Islamic State and urged Trump to stay on message. “Her only competition is Barack Obama”.
Donald Trump offered a fatalistic assessment of his personal and political future on Thursday, saying he will not abandon the controversial style that fueled his ascent despite lagging poll numbers and a string of damaging controversies. “He gets the most valuable player award”.
He then said that the “co-founder” of ISIS was Clinton. Or as she would call it, ISIL.
Is there something wrong with saying that? Obama eventually stopped taking credit after the rise of ISIS, and even expressed disbelief anyone would assume the decision to withdraw from Iraq was his.
“Of course I’m being sarcastic”, he said. “All I do is tell the truth, I’m a truth teller”. All I do is tell the truth. “I go back to a very good way of life”, he told the network.
“I mean, with his bad policies, that’s why ISIS came about”, Trump said, “If he would have done things properly, you wouldn’t have had ISIS”.
When Hewitt suggested that Trump had meant instead that Obama “created the vacuum, he lost the peace”, Trump rejected Hewitt’s softening of his assertion.
“In many respects, you know, they honor President Obama”.
Just last week at another rally in Florida in Daytona Beach, Trump said the same. “He’s the most valuable player”. He was the most valuable player. And I give it to him, and I give it to, I gave the co-founder to Hillary.
Hewitt pushed back once more, but Trump responded, “I don’t care. He hates them. He’s trying to kill them”. Are people complaining that I said he was the founder of ISIS? But he then added, “Therefore, he was the founder if ISIS”.
Dozens of Democrats and critics in the media immediately claimed that Trump was calling for people to assassinate Clinton.
Trump’s Friday reversal on Twitter is the newest episode in which he makes a verifiably false claim only to later explain away the comment. They’re tough. They’re tough. They must love him.
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He said that he is planning to vote for Clinton for president in November.
