Donald Trump on Thursday repeatedly accused President Barack Obama of founding the Islamic State group, refusing to take back a patently false allegation even when questioned about the logic of his position.
A day after lobbing the attack against the president during a rowdy rally, Trump pressed ahead during a round of interviews.
The Republican presidential nominee brushed off conservative radio commentator Hugh Hewitt's attempt to reframe Trump's observation as one that said Obama's foreign policy created the conditions in Iraq and Syria that allowed IS to thrive.
"No, I meant he's the founder of ISIS. I do," Trump said, using another acronym for the extremist group that has wreaked havoc from the Middle East to European cities.
Hewitt asked Trump if he would acknowledge that Obama hates the Islamic State, noting that the president is "trying to kill them."
Over the past two years Obama has organized a broad coalition of countries and launched more than 10,000 U.S. airstrikes to defeat IS.
"I don't care," the billionaire businessman replied. "He was the founder. The way he got out of Iraq, that was the founding of ISIS, OK?"
In a later speech to homebuilders in Miami, Trump said his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, would be given "the most valuable player award" by IS.
"Her only competition is Barack Obama," he said. He later added of Clinton, "Oh boy, is ISIS hoping for her."
The Republican presidential nominee in the past has accused his opponent, Clinton, of founding the militant group. Shifting the blame to Obama, he said "crooked Hillary Clinton" was actually the group's co-founder.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton admonished Trump, saying anyone who would "sink so low" should never be president.
"No, Barack Obama is not the founder of ISIS," Clinton tweeted.
"Anyone willing to sink so low, so often should never be allowed to serve as our Commander-in-Chief."
Islamic State was founded in 2013, months after Clinton left the state department. It was born out of the terror group Al-Qaeda in Iraq that grew in strength in 2006 following Republican president George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003.
The group flourished with Obama's withdrawal of US troops from Iraq in late 2011. Republicans said Obama was slow to recognize the threat when he said in 2014 that the Islamic State was a "JV", junior varsity team even though they gained ground in Syria and Iraq.
IMAGE: Donald Trump speaks at the National Association of Home Builders event at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in Miami, Florida. Photograph: Eric Thayer/Reuters
