Trump discovers the media can’t take a joke when it comes to Obama and ISIS
After spending a day defending the literal truth of his claim that President Obama was “the founder” of ISIS, Donald Trump switched course on Friday, claiming it was an instance of misunderstood “sarcasm.”
In an early-morning tweet Trump, the Republican nominee for president, said the media misreported his remarks and “didn’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?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016
Trump expanded on the tweet at a rally Friday afternoon, saying his audience knew he wasn’t serious in how he labeled Obama.
“Of course they know that,” Trump said at his event in Erie, Penn. “Obviously I’m being sarcastic — but not that sarcastic, to be honest with you.”
Trump added that the media were intentionally twisting his words and called them “the lowest forms of humanity.”
The business mogul first used the line at a rally on Wednesday, saying Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton were “co-founders” of ISIS and that Obama deserved the “most valuable player award” for letting the terrorist group gain traction.
He doubled down on those comments the next morning in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. Hewitt asked if Trump meant that Obama created a political vacuum in the region, allowing ISIS to take hold.
“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.”
Hewitt pushed back on the claim, saying that while he disagreed with Obama’s policies, the president “hates them” and “he’s trying to kill them.”
“I don’t care,” Trump responded. “He was the founder. The way he got out of Iraq, that was the founding of ISIS, OK?”
Pushback to Trump’s remarks came quickly, with Clinton simply tweeting “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.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 11, 2016
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy responded to Trump’s remarks with sarcasm of his own.
“What I’m looking for is a president who has a good sense of humor about ISIS, assassinations, and Russian cyber warfare,” Murphy tweeted.
What I’m looking for is a President who has a good sense of humor about ISIS, assassinations, and Russian cyber warfare.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 12, 2016
