"He was the founder of ISIS, absolutely," said Trump. "Is there something wrong with saying that? Why? Are people complaining that I said he was the founder of ISIS?"



Trump has long blamed Obama and his former secretary of state — Hillary Clinton — for pursuing Mideast policies that created a power vacuum in Iraq that was exploited by IS. But in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, that message appeared muddled. Hewitt said that as he understood Trump's comments to mean Obama created unstable conditions by withdrawing U.S. forces that allowed IS to thrive. Trump responded, "No, I mean he's the founder of ISIS. I do. He was the most valuable player," according to interview transcripts.