Republican candidate Donald Trump roiled the US presidential campaign once again, with the jaw-dropping assertion Wednesday that Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama “founded” the IS group.
Addressing supporters at a rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the real estate tycoon said the jihadist group is “honouring President Obama. He is the founder of ISIS”, Trump said, using a term for ISIS.
“He’s the founder of ISIS, okay ” he added. “He’s the founder! He founded ISIS. And I would say, the co-founder would be ‘Crooked Hillary Clinton’,” Mr Trump shouted, over cheers and applause from the crowd. It was the latest disquieting utterance from the bombastic billionaire, who just one day earlier made comments interpreted by many as inviting gun violence against Ms Clinton, the Democrats’ presidential nominee. Mr Trump appeared to suggest on Tuesday, possibly in jest, that Ms Clinton or her Supreme Court nominees could be shot, as a way of preventing her from making judicial appointments if she wins the November presidential election. Ms Clinton meanwhile launched an open appeal Wednesday to independents and Republicans repulsed by Mr Trump over his string of controversial statements. The campaign unveiled a new website, togetherforamerica.com, that lists dozens of Republicans and independents who back Ms Clinton, including former director of national intelligence John Negroponte and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. “Regardless of party, voters are increasingly concerned that Mr Trump’s tendency to bully, demean and degrade others sends the wrong message to our children,” Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said. Mr Trump has clearly roiled the party with his unorthodox remarks, with some Republicans frustrated at his inability to stay on message. A Reuters/IPSOS poll Wednesday found that 19 per cent of Republican voters want Trump to drop out of the race, while 70 per cent think he should stay and 10 per cent say they don’t know.
