Donald Trump doubled down on recent remarks calling President Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton the “founders” of the Islamic State in an interview with a conservative radio host.
During a segment on The Hugh Hewitt Show, the Republican nominee again linked the two to the terrorist group that has seized parts of Syria, Iraq and Libya, despite skeptical questions from Hewitt, who has sparred with Trump in the past.
Hewitt: 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.
Trump: 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.
Hewitt: But he’s not sympathetic to them. He hates them. He’s trying to kill them.
Trump: I don’t care. He was the founder. His, the way he got out of Iraq was that that was the founding of ISIS, okay?
Trump’s remarks at a Wednesday rally were not the first time that Trump has called Clinton or Trump “the founders of ISIS.” In January, he said “Hillary Clinton created ISIS with Obama.” After the Orlando nightclub shooting, he was criticized for suggesting Obama supports ISIS. Last week at another Florida event, Trump called Clinton the “founder of ISIS.”
Read More: President Obama Is Not the ‘Founder of ISIS.’ Here’s Who Really Started It
During a Thursday morning speech, Trump again repeated his comments, saying, “ISIS will hand (Clinton) the Most Valuable Player award.”
Clinton responded on Twitter Thursday.
Get our Politics Newsletter. Sign up to receive the day's most important political stories from Washington and beyond.
