Cooper Allen

USA TODAY

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has raised eyebrows the last couple of days with his repeated assertions that President Obama founded the Islamic State.

Trump has also labeled his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, as "co-founder" or "most valuable player" of the terror group, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL.

Trump seeks to brand Obama as ISIS 'founder'

That, of course, isn't true — Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State, is thought to have shaped the terror group into its current form — and Friday morning, Trump blasted CNN (and presumably, by extension, other media outlets and critics) for not discerning his "sarcasm."

In a tweet, the GOP nominee said, "Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) 'the founder' of ISIS, & MVP." He added (in all caps): "THEY DON'T GET SARCASM?"

Later, during a rally in Erie, Pa., Trump reiterated that he was "being sarcastic," but added a caveat: "But not that sarcastic, to be honest with you."

As recently as Thursday, however, Trump's sarcasm was not exactly readily apparent. In an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, the real estate mogul was asked about his comments and whether he actually meant that Obama "created the vacuum, he lost the peace," which created the conditions in which the Islamic State could emerge.

"No, I meant he’s the founder of ISIS," Trump told Hewitt. "I do."

In a follow-up tweet Friday morning that may have also been related to the recent controversy, Trump hit media personalities who were "working so hard and so seriously to try and figure me out."

"They can't!" he added.