Earlier this week at a rally, GOP nominee Donald Trump definitively declared that President Obama and Hillary Clinton were the co-founders of ISIS. When asked about his remarks by radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump stuck by them. Did he mean that the two Democrats' policies had led to the rise of ISIS in the Middle East? Hewitt prodded. No, Trump suggested, they were directly responsible.
HH: I’ve got two more questions. Last night, you said the President was the founder of ISIS. I know what you meant. You meant that he created the vacuum, he lost the peace.
DT: No, I meant he’s the founder of ISIS. 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.
Well, judging by his Twitter account Friday morning, it turns out he was just joking.
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
While it didn't seem likely Trump actually thought Obama created the terror organization, he has made yet another verbal flip flop and is again having to clarify a comment - meaning more negative optics.