Why would Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump call US President Barack Obama the founder of the Islamic State group ISIS?

Answer 1

Answer 1

He will say anything for attention, and to distract from his inadequacies.

Answer 2

Donald Trump says Obama and Hillary are the founders of ISIS because the Administration's actions and inactions led to the rise of ISIS.

Answer 2

I think for the same reason he said that Obama wasn't born in the United States. He will say anything to win. My fear is much of what he puts out there is hate and some loony with a gun will try something. I have lived through the murders of JFK, King, and Robert Kennedy and this not something we want. It is awful.

Answer 3

There are people who are loyal to Trump who argue that Trump's accusation that Obama and Hillary are the founders of Islamic State is a euphemism for all of the actions and inactions that these two politicians have done that facilitated the rise of Islamic State. However, in a friendly interview, when this was proposed to Trump, he dismissed this euphemistic argument and stated that he intended this in its literal meaning, e.g. that Obama and Hillary actually founded Islamic State.

There are really only three reasons he would say something which a large number of people know to be factually false: (1) because he genuinely believes it is true, (2) because he knows that it will attract attention to his campaign (and no news is bad news), and/or (3) because his base strongly centers on less-educated people who are more inclined to believe a person who speaks simply like they do.