Did Hillary Clinton Really Start Obama Birther And Muslim Rumors Like Donald Trump Says?
Rumors about President Barack Obama being a Muslim have followed him all the way from battling Hillary Clinton in 2007 to the final year of his White House term. Even the Republican primary for the 2016 election has been consumed this week, with comments made by a Donald Trump supporter who insinuated the president was a practicing Muslim. Donald was heavily criticized for not vehemently rejecting the notion.
Along with most potential Democratic candidates, Hillary leapt to attack Trump’s passive acceptance of the statement. On Friday, Clinton took to Twitter to scold Donald’s lack of respect for the president.
Donald Trump not denouncing false statements about POTUS & hateful rhetoric about Muslims is disturbing, & just plain wrong. Cut it out. -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 18, 2015
Hillary’s criticism of Donald isn’t, however, being universally welcomed. On MSNBC‘s Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough levied an attack against Clinton for what he called her “rich” rebuke of Trump. According to Scarborough, Hillary’s campaign pushed the “Obama is a Muslim” narrative in order to ensure a Clinton ticket for 2008.
“It was rich this weekend … for Hillary Clinton to come out and criticize anybody for spreading the rumors about Barack Obama when it all started with her, and her campaign, passing things around in the Democratic primary, rich. Now listen, the Republicans are wrong for doing what they’re doing. It started, this started with Hillary Clinton and it was spread by the Clinton team.”
Co-host Mika Brzezinski agreed, pointing to a 60 Minutes interview where some said that Hillary did not dispel Obama Muslim rumors enthusiastically enough. While she repeatedly said “no,” many still interpreted her remarks as noncommittal, something that could have helped squelch the growing birther movement.
“No, no, of course not. I mean, there is no basis for that. I take him on the basis of what he says. I mean, no, why would I? There’s nothing to base that on, as far as I know.”
Harold Ford Jr., another panelist on Morning Joe, was not so quick to cast blame for the pervasive Obama Muslim argument on Clinton. He said that he “did not recall” any such messages from Hillary’s campaign, and invited the pair to show him evidence to the contrary.
The recent Donald Trump controversy over Barack Obama’s debated religious identity isn’t the first time Clinton has found her previous comments about the matter under heavy analysis. In reality, the Muslim accusations trace all the way back to 2004, when Barack was an Illinois state senator. It is true, however, that doubts about Obama’s country of origin and religious freedom were heavily fomented on the national stage by a group of Hillary supporters. One such e-mail they sent founded the Kenyan birth allegations that still follow the president today, reported the Telegraph.
“Barack Obama’s mother was living in Kenya with his Arab-African father late in her pregnancy. She was not allowed to travel by plane then, so Barack Obama was born there and his mother then took him to Hawaii to register his birth.”
Do you think Hillary Clinton is responsible for the Barack Obama Muslim and birther rumors?
[Image via T.J. Kirkpatrick / Getty Images]
