Trump tweeted Friday morning that the media was missing his sarcasm.
Advertisement
To that end, Clinton’s campaign on Friday intensified pressure on Trump to release his tax returns, while disclosing her 2015 filings and a decade of returns from her running mate.
This time, it followed two days of critical headlines and Democratic outrage over Trumps claim that Obama was the founder of the Islamic State group. The officials weren’t authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity. Trump is encountering worrying signs as his campaign moves into the November election. In the past, Trump has also falsely suggested Obama is a Muslim or was born in Kenya, where Obama’s father was from.
Trump’s exercise in self-awareness is a marked departure from his usual tenor on the campaign trail, where for months at rallies he would tick through poll numbers showing him winning as if they were sports scores of his favorite team. There’s nothing that we’re going to be able to do with a civil war.
Yet on Thursday, Trump was reduced to citing a poll that actually showed him a few points behind Clinton and arguing the race between them was close.
Trump responded: “No, I meant he’s the founder of ISIS. I do”. I know what you meant.
Even while working to restore confidence in his campaign, Trump appeared to court controversy anew when he said late Thursday that he was open to trying Americans suspected of terrorism at the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.
Only hours before, the billionaire businessman had restated the allegation with no mention of sarcasm, telling rally-goers in Kissimmee, Florida, that “I’ve been saying that Barack Obama is the founder”. “I do”, Mr. Trump said.
In Utah, typically a reliably Republican state, Trump’s challenges have been particularly striking.
It wasn’t immediately clear why Trump altered course Friday and said the whole notion was sarcastic.
Clinton is looking to take advantage by expanding into traditionally Republican states, seeking a sweeping victory in November. Some Republicans seem to have the same concern.
“I don’t care”, Mr. Trump said.
After three days of saying President Barack Obama was the literal founder of the Islamic State terrorist group, also known as ISIS, Donald Trump on Friday claimed he was just being sarcastic – a freaky end to yet another controversy surrounding the Republican presidential nominee.
Others said his use of the president’s full name called to mind his long and twisting effort to try and prove Mr Obama was not a United States citizen and that he was in truth a Muslim who was born in either Kenya or Indonesia.
Advertisement
The Republican presidential nominee in the past has accused his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, of founding the militant group.
