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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Donald Trump: I was being sarcastic about Obama and Isis Donald Trump: I was being sarcastic about Obama and Isis | |
| (4 months later) | |
| Donald Trump has walked back his false claim that Barack Obama founded Isis, tweeting on Friday morning that he was only being sarcastic. | Donald Trump has walked back his false claim that Barack Obama founded Isis, tweeting on Friday morning that he was only being sarcastic. |
| Focusing on CNN’s reports on his original comments, the Republican candidate wrote: | Focusing on CNN’s reports on his original comments, the Republican candidate wrote: |
| Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) "the founder" of ISIS, & MVP. THEY DON'T GET SARCASM? | Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) "the founder" of ISIS, & MVP. THEY DON'T GET SARCASM? |
| On Thursday, Trump had refused to take the opportunity to reframe his remark to mean that Obama had created the context for the Islamic State’s growth. Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt told him: “I know what you meant – you meant that he created the vacuum, he lost the peace.” | On Thursday, Trump had refused to take the opportunity to reframe his remark to mean that Obama had created the context for the Islamic State’s growth. Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt told him: “I know what you meant – you meant that he created the vacuum, he lost the peace.” |
| But Trump disagreed. “No, I meant that he’s the founder of Isis, I do,” he said. “He was the most valuable player – I gave him the most valuable player award. I give her too, by the way,” he added of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. | But Trump disagreed. “No, I meant that he’s the founder of Isis, I do,” he said. “He was the most valuable player – I gave him the most valuable player award. I give her too, by the way,” he added of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. |
| Trump did acknowledge that the root of his argument was that if Obama “had done things properly, you wouldn’t have had Isis”, but he repeated: “Therefore, he was the founder of Isis.” | Trump did acknowledge that the root of his argument was that if Obama “had done things properly, you wouldn’t have had Isis”, but he repeated: “Therefore, he was the founder of Isis.” |
| Trump first claimed Obama was “the founder of Isis” on Wednesday night at a rally in Sunrise, Florida. | Trump first claimed Obama was “the founder of Isis” on Wednesday night at a rally in Sunrise, Florida. |
| “Isis is honoring President Obama,” Trump said of Islamic State. “He is the founder of Isis. He founded Isis. And, I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton.” | “Isis is honoring President Obama,” Trump said of Islamic State. “He is the founder of Isis. He founded Isis. And, I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton.” |
| On Thursday night at a rally in Florida, he repeated the claim, explaining that if the president had maintained a small force in Iraq, he could have prevented the militant group’s rise. | On Thursday night at a rally in Florida, he repeated the claim, explaining that if the president had maintained a small force in Iraq, he could have prevented the militant group’s rise. |
| Clinton has attacked Trump for the remarks, writing on Twitter: “It can be difficult to muster outrage as frequently as Donald Trump should cause it, but his smear against President Obama requires it. | Clinton has attacked Trump for the remarks, writing on Twitter: “It can be difficult to muster outrage as frequently as Donald Trump should cause it, but his smear against President Obama requires it. |
| “No, Barack Obama is not the founder of Isis. Anyone willing to sink so low, so often should never be allowed to serve as our commander-in-chief.” | “No, Barack Obama is not the founder of Isis. Anyone willing to sink so low, so often should never be allowed to serve as our commander-in-chief.” |
| The Isis controversy comes after Trump faced backlash over his hint that gun rights supporters might attack Clinton, something that seemed to cause genuine shock in a country that has grown used to Trump pushing the boundaries of appropriate political discourse. | The Isis controversy comes after Trump faced backlash over his hint that gun rights supporters might attack Clinton, something that seemed to cause genuine shock in a country that has grown used to Trump pushing the boundaries of appropriate political discourse. |
| Since July’s Republican convention, Clinton has taken a firm lead in the polls as Trump has struggled from controversy to controversy, pursuing a feud with the Muslim family of a dead US army captain and suggesting Russia publish any of Clinton’s missing emails it has hacked, before this week’s inflammatory remarks. The Democratic candidate is 6.3 points ahead in the latest polling average compiled by Real Clear Politics. | Since July’s Republican convention, Clinton has taken a firm lead in the polls as Trump has struggled from controversy to controversy, pursuing a feud with the Muslim family of a dead US army captain and suggesting Russia publish any of Clinton’s missing emails it has hacked, before this week’s inflammatory remarks. The Democratic candidate is 6.3 points ahead in the latest polling average compiled by Real Clear Politics. |
| “At the end, it’s either going to work or I’m going to, you know, I’m going to have a very, very nice long vacation,” Trump told CNBC on Thursday. | “At the end, it’s either going to work or I’m going to, you know, I’m going to have a very, very nice long vacation,” Trump told CNBC on Thursday. |
| The campaign is due to meet RNC officials in Orlando on Friday, the Associated Press reported, with both Republican officials and Trump’s staff saying the meeting is focused on the campaign in Florida and not tensions between the campaign and the GOP. | The campaign is due to meet RNC officials in Orlando on Friday, the Associated Press reported, with both Republican officials and Trump’s staff saying the meeting is focused on the campaign in Florida and not tensions between the campaign and the GOP. |