The lies Trump told this week: from Obama and Isis to support for vets

Claims that Obama ‘founded’ the terrorist group and that ‘nobody’s
done more for vets’ than Donald were among the Republican’s most
muddled ideas

Alan Yuhas
Friday 12 August 2016 13.35 BST

“No, I meant he’s the founder of Isis. I do.” – 11 August interview with Hugh Hewitt

Trump’s claim that Barack Obama “founded” the terror group Islamic State, with help from Hillary Clinton, condenses and distorts a conservative argument into a hyperbole almost beyond recognition. Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt tried to unpack the claim into more sensible form. “You meant that he created the vacuum, he lost the peace,” he said. “They created the Libyan vacuum, they created the vacuum into which Isis came, but they didn’t create Isis.”

“Well, I disagree,” Trump insisted. “I mean, with his bad policies, that’s why Isis came about. If he would have done things properly, you wouldn’t have had Isis. Therefore, he was the founder of Isis.”

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“Nobody’s done more for the vets than I have, in terms of support, even in terms of financial support.” – 9 August interview with Time Warner Cable News, North Carolina

Trump’s history of charity is extremely difficult to accurately chart, despite months of investigation by the Washington Post, Buzzfeed and other outlets. He pledged in January to give $1m to veterans, for instance, but did not do so for four months, and seemingly only after the Post reported his unfulfilled promise. The notoriously parsimonious businessman has boasted of millions in donations, but when pressed to provide evidence of these gifts, family and campaign have insisted that the bulk of his donations were made privately.

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