Donald Trump: I meant that Obama founded ISIS, literally

[pnwmom]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) Donald Trump said Thursday that he meant exactly what he said when he called President Barack Obama the "founder of ISIS" and objected when a conservative radio show host tried to clarify the GOP nominee's position.

Trump was asked by host Hugh Hewitt about the comments Trump made Wednesday night in Florida, and Hewitt said he understood Trump to mean "that he (Obama) created the vacuum, he lost the peace."

Trump objected.

"No, I meant he's the founder of ISIS," Trump said. "I do. He was the most valuable player. I give him the most valuable player award. I give her, too, by the way, Hillary Clinton."


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/11/politics/donald-trump-hugh-hewitt-obama-founder-isis/

---

I don't see in the article where the don actually used the word "literally." But CNN's headline writer clearly thought that was what he meant.

The conservative talk show interviewer and the don went back and forth over the use of the word "founder," with the don stubbornly clinging to it, rejecting the interviewers suggestion that a power vacuum after we withdrew from Iraq allowed ISIS to come in.

The article also points out that Trump himself supported an even earlier withdrawal from Iraq.

"You know how they get out? They get out," Trump told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in 2007. "That's how they get out. Declare victory and leave, because I'll tell you, this country is just going to get further bogged down. They're in a civil war over there, Wolf. There's nothing that we're going to be able to do with a civil war. They are in a major civil war."

And the article quotes a former US Ambassador to Russia who says that Trump's argument about Obama causing ISIS echoes Russian statements on the matter.

[tobytobe]

1. Trump is insane, literally.

[PatSeg]

2. He's got to be trying to lose

He's not the brightest guy, but damn, there's no way he's THAT stupid.

[Glimmer of Hope]

5. I think he is that stupid.

[PatSeg]

7. It is starting to look rather calculated

instead of careless gaffes.

[wordpix]

17. but he's a brilliant businessman- oh wait, he has 4 bankruptcies

and every time, he's come out richer than before, or so he says while living like a king. Sounds fishy to me.

[MelSC]

39. No he's trying to start something very ugly

Nt

[closeupready]

10. I really think so, too. He sees how much scrutiny he'd be under, and

he's decided he's not interested, but his ethical universe does not provide for a way for him to quit overtly.

[moonscape]

18. Whether he loses or quits, he'll

have an excuse as to why (rigged, whatever) - so I'm not sure it makes that much difference.

He has such a thing about losing that I do think he wants to win - just doesn't know how. So yeah, I think he's bumping up against limited intellectual capacity.

[PatSeg]

29. So he set it up so when he loses

he can say, "See, I told you three months ago that the system is rigged, but what are you going to do."

Meanwhile, all the scrutiny about his over-the-top remarks distracts from the history of his questionable and possible illegal business practices. Many journalists are too busy exclaiming over his latest hyperbolic comments to do any digging into his very disturbing business career.

This man has gotten away with far too much for far too long, I think he realizes his luck is running out. If not, he should.

[milestogo]

12. He is stupid and out of touch with reality.

[wordpix]

19. he's smart enough to come out of 4 bankruptcies a very rich man

or so he says, while living like a king. How did that happen? How many politicians has he paid off to be allowed to build his towers and do his bidding? So far, everyone who could really hurt him is silent.

I'll bet Rudy helped Trump get his deals through when Rudy was mayor.

[PatSeg]

30. If the man ever made an honest buck,

it was probably by accident.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. Trump has his head up his ass

Literally.

[wordpix]

20. lol about "The Kiss 2.0"

[truthisfreedom]

4. Hey Don, you notice nobody's listening, you moron?

Hey Don, you know how the moron got his name? The bus driver stopped, took one look at him, said "No more on," and drove away. Guess it stuck, uh Donnie baby? No more on, get it moron?

[oberliner]

16. Actually everybody is listening

He is probably the most covered entity on the news right now. Every crazy thing he says gets repeated a million times.

[wordpix]

26. and his followers stand by their man. Today's story on the campaign trail:

A Repub friend of mine (WM, mid-60's) angrily yelled at me as I was quietly reading a newspaper minding my own business: "That Crooked Hillary B---- !" I asked him why he calls her that and he said it was due to the email "scandal" (the latest one). I responded that someone asking a connection at State Dept. about a job is how Washington works, since asking anyone in a position that can get you through the door to a possible good job is common. Also, I said to this Friend#1 it was reported that no meeting took place about the job, so what's the big scandal?

I also said something about Trump's suggested "2nd Amendment people" solution if they don't like the choice of a SCOTUS justice, which sounds like an invitation to violence. Friend 1 and later Friend 2 (WF, 70 y.o.) towed the R line that Trump was talking about voting, not assassinating those they don't agree with.

Friend 2 said we should not be talking politics and I said that's good but I was quietly reading the paper when Friend 1 came shouting in my ear, "That Crooked Hillary B----!" Friend 2 then got angry and said, "Well I agree with him!!!"

Can Repugs debate without being rude and angry? I guess they expected me to keep quiet and take all the nonsense about "Crooked Hillary" without a comeback. Nor do they even a care about Wacky Don's lack of knowledge, preparedness and even temperament.

To end the story, Repub Friend 3 piled on to defend the other 2 R's, so it was 3-1 and I said I'm not debating anymore b/c I'm outnumbered. Friend #3 backed off and everyone went separate ways. This has put a pall on my friendships with #1 and #2. They are nice people otherwise but geesh.

[oberliner]

27. Yes, indeed

They walk among us.

[pnwmom]

41. Good for you for standing up for her. Sorry to hear about your friends, though.

I don't run into many of those people in my neck of the woods. If they feel like that, they're usually not trumpeting it!

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Not only anger, dementia, toxicity, borderline but also nuts

A world that's twisted and upside down

Essentially inviting Europe to control us

Making us stronger by reneging on NATO obligations

Chief Birther, Climate Denier

Obama is ISIS? Seeing things that are not there is delusional

Full blown narcissistic dementia

[Iggo]

8. What's a guy gotta do to throw an election around here, anyway?

Jeez!

[bucolic_frolic]

9. He's playing a game of credibility? And loosening people's minds from their grasp on reality?

At times, I'm just speechless. I have no idea what he means.

The Great Prevaricator

[Coventina]

11. Any fans of "The Princess Bride" here?

You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means

[VWolf]

14. He's still their nominee??? Inconceivable!!! n/t

[landolfi]

15. Yes!!!

That is one of the funniest and at the same time most charming movies I have ever seen, and I watch a lot of movies.

[BumRushDaShow]

24. You can't post without

this -

[left-of-center2012]

13. "Real Republicans' must be ask WTF happened to our party?

One can hope (me) that this brings an end to the Tea Party conservative GOP.

[George II]

21. What all of them absolutely refuse to accept or admit is:

1. Obama's predecessor signed an agreement with Iraq that called for our troops to be withdrawn, which Obama lived up to.

2. When founded, ISIS consisted almost exclusively of former Iraqi commanders and soldiers who found themselves with nowhere to go when bush disbanded the Iraqi military.

GEORGE W. BUSH was directly responsible for the creation of ISIS.

[tclambert]

22. So, Obama founded ISIS while he was an Illinois State Senator?

Pretty powerful for a state legislator.

Everybody acts like ISIS is brand new, when they've been around since about 1999.

[Tarc]

23. So I thought by "founded ISIS", Trump was clumsily claiming that Obama is the reason

for their rise. Ridiculous, I know. But this...Trump is actually saying that Obama started the group itself?

[BumRushDaShow]

25. That's what Hugh Hewitt

2nd rate RW talk host, was trying to get him to say and he would have none of it!

[wordpix]

32. Liar Don, he can't help himself

[BumRushDaShow]

34. And that my friend

is the truth!

[Enrique]

35. i love that so much

Trump is making such fools out of his apologists.

[louis-t]

28. He'll say whatever Putin tells him to.

He hopes to make lots of money off Putin.

[wordpix]

33. Senior ex-CIA official: Putin made Trump 'an unwitting agent' of Russia

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-russia-idUSKCN10G1NT

A former top CIA official attacked Donald Trump on Friday as a danger to national security, saying President Vladimir Putin had made the Republican presidential candidate an "unwitting agent" of Russia.

Putin had flattered Trump into supporting positions favorable to Russia, Michael Morell, a longtime CIA officer and former deputy director of the agency, said in an opinion piece in The New York Times.

"In the intelligence business, we would say that Mr. Putin had recruited Mr. Trump as an unwitting agent of the Russian Federation," Morell said, in an article in which he endorsed Trump's rival in the Nov. 8 election, Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Morell did not provide evidence for his assertion, but he said Putin had used skills from his past as an intelligence officer to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in an individual.

"That is exactly what he did early in the primaries. Mr. Putin played upon Mr. Trump’s vulnerabilities by complimenting him. He responded just as Mr. Putin had calculated," Morell wrote. snip

[MelSC]

40. I'm very concerned

With the Russian hackings, Trumps anti-NATO, anti-EU, his pro Putin remarks, Assange's ties with Russia. There is something going on...

[Chemisse]

31. He wanted everybody to stop talking about his Clinton assassination threats.

And they did.

Presto! Problem solved.

That's really just how simple his thinking is.

[riversedge]

36. It can be difficult to muster outrage as frequently as Donald Trump should cause it, but his smear a

Not sure, but I assume Hillary is talking about ISIS issue.

Hillary Clinton ?@HillaryClinton 5h5 hours ago

It can be difficult to muster outrage as frequently as Donald Trump should cause it, but his smear against President Obama requires it.

[NastyRiffraff]

37. This is too much even for Hugh Hewitt??!!!

My god, this is bad. Very bad (for the GOP).

Meanwhile Ryan, McConnell, and Priebus are watching as if they were teenagers enjoying a horror show.

[Joisey Boy]

38. Vladimir's Puppet

[TomCADem]

42. Interestingly, Trump Is Pushing Russian Propaganda

That the US formed ISIS to gain influence in the Middle East.