Obama Cartoon

Trump doesn't challenge anti-Muslim questioner at event

If it acts like a Duck, sounds like a Duck, and walks like a Duck, then maybe it is a DUCK!

Donald Trump came under fire Friday morning for his handling of a question at a town hall about when the U.S. can "get rid" of Muslims, for failing to take issue with that premise and an assertion that President Barack Obama is Muslim.

Trump, who has shaken off several high-profile controversies that would have ended other presidential campaigns, faced an immediate backlash from advocacy groups, and members of his own party distanced themselves from the GOP front-runner. The incident recalls Trump's 2011 quest to challenge Obama on where he was born, which ended with Obama releasing his long-form birth certificate. It also follows a debate performance Wednesday that garnered mixed reviews for the billionaire businessman.

"We have a problem in this country. It's called Muslims," an unidentified man who spoke at a question-and-answer town hall event in Rochester, New Hampshire asked the mogul at a rally Thursday night. "You know our current president is one. You know he's not even an American."

A seemingly bewildered Trump interrupted the man, chuckling, "We need this question. This is the first question."

"Anyway, we have training camps growing where they want to kill us," the man, wearing a "Trump" T-shirt, continued. "That's my question: When can we get rid of them?"

"We're going to be looking at a lot of different things," Trump replied. "You know, a lot of people are saying that and a lot of people are saying that bad things are happening. We're going to be looking at that and many other things."

The real estate mogul did not correct the questioner about his claims about Obama before moving on to another audience member.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest condemned the remarks Friday, but added "Is anybody really surprised that this happened at a Donald Trump rally?"

The audience members comments and Trump's response were quickly denounced by Democrats. Hillary Clinton, the party's front-runner for president, personally tweeted late Thursday that Trump's remarks were "just plain wrong," and followed up on it Friday morning at a press conference.

"I was appalled," Clinton said bluntly to a question from CNN's Suzanne Malveaux. "Not only was it out of bounds, it was untrue. He should have from the beginning corrected that kind of rhetoric, that level of hatefulness."

Fellow Democratic hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley condemned the remarks.

Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, called the incident a sign of "a lack of moral courage."

"I don't know if Trump is using dog-whistle politics to win support in the polls, or if he genuinely believes the racist things he says. Either way, he showed a complete lack of moral courage in that clip, and he has shown once again that he completely unqualified to be President of the United States."

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz flatly called Trump a racist in a statement.

"GOP front-runner Donald Trump's racism knows no bounds. This is certainly horrendous, but unfortunately unsurprising given what we have seen already. The vile rhetoric coming from the GOP candidates is appalling," Schultz said. "(Republicans) should be ashamed, and all Republican presidential candidates must denounce Trump's comments immediately or will be tacitly agreeing with him."

READ: Chris Christie: I would have said Obama is Christian

After the event, several reporters asked Trump why he didn't challenge the questioner's assertions. Trump did not answer.

But Corey Lewandowski, Trump's campaign manager, later told CNN that the candidate did not hear the question about Obama being a Muslim.

"All he heard was a question about training camps, which he said we have to look into," Lewandowski said. "The media want to make this an issue about Obama, but it's about him waging a war on Christianity."

Trump announced Friday that he would cancel his trip to South Carolina, citing "a significant business transaction."

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Friday that he would not "lecture" Trump on how to respond to comments like that, but said that leaders are responsible for correcting voters on certain issues.

"I'll tell you what I would do and I wouldn't have permitted that if someone brought that up at a town hall meeting of mine. I would have said, 'No, listen. Before we answer let's clear some things up for the rest of the audience.' And I think you have an obligation as a leader to do that," Christie said on NBC's "TODAY" Friday.

RELATED: Misperceptions persist about Obama's faith, but aren't so widespread

Falsehoods persist about Obama's background

Obama, who has spoken openly about his Christian faith, was born to an American mother and Kenyan father in Hawaii. But Trump has been one of the leading skeptics of Obama's birthplace, saying he did not know where Obama was born as recently as July.

A recent CNN/ORC poll found 29% of Americans believe Obama is a Muslim, including 43% of Republicans.

Trump is not the first Republican candidate to raise eyebrows over comments involving Obama and his ethnic and religious background. In February, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker became embroiled in a brief controversy when he told The Washington Post that he didn't know if Obama was a Christian.

"I've never asked him that," Walker said. A spokeswoman later clarified that he did believe Obama was Christian, but disagreed with the media's obsession with "gotcha" questions.

And in 2008, Republican presidential nominee John McCain was booed after he famously told an audience member at a campaign event that Obama was a "good family man."

"He's a decent family man ... (a) citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues," McCain said then. "That's what this campaign is all about."

92 percent of Americans

The More the Established Republicans want Trump Out, the more people want him to Win.

A Morning Consult poll, released Friday, surveyed 504 registered voters who watched Wednesday’s Republican primary debate and has only good news for Republican frontrunner Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina. While the poll’s sample size is small (with a 4.4% margin of error), the poll’s trend is worth noting.
In this same poll, prior to Wednesday night’s debate, Trump sat at 33% support. Dr. Ben Carson sat in second place with 17% support. Today Trump enjoys 36% support. Carson is still in second place but with just 12% support.
Trump’s lead increased from +16 points to  +24%. That’s an +8% jump.
With their shared status as outsiders, it appears as though Carson’s support went to Fiorina. Prior to the debate the former-Hewlett Packard CEO had just 3% support. She now sits in third place with 10%, only -2 points behind second place Carson.
Overall, the Republican Establishment is the Big Loser here. Non-politicians Trump, Carson and Fiorina command 58% of the vote, and that piece of the pie is only growing larger.
Rubio also enjoyed a boost from 2% to 9%. This puts the Florida Senator in 4th place. Texas Senator

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)

96%

is in 5th place with 7% support. Everyone else is bunched up at 6% or below. A plurality of 29% believe Fiorina won the debate. Trump came in 2nd with 24%. Carson came in 3rd with just 7%.
Fiorina’s favorability rating jumped from 37% to 56%. Her unfavorable sits at just 28%. Carson does best on this question with a 79% favorable rating. Trump comes in 2nd with 67%. Only 30% see Trump as unfavorable.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)

93%

, and John Kasich scored the worst with 38%, and 40% favorable ratings, respectively. Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and Scott Walker are all tied up with a 50% favorable rating.

Republicans jockey for conservative credibility at Heritage Action for America presidential forum

GREENVILLE, S.C. –  Setting aside personality clashes for a night, the Republican Party's 2016 contest shifted to substance Friday as a slate of White House hopefuls vowed to steer the nation sharply to the right as they courted conservatives in battleground South Carolina.
They promised to eliminate federal departments that regulate education and environmental protection, called on congressional leaders to block federal funding from Planned Parenthood even if it triggers a government shutdown, and endorsed policies that reduce the number of unwed mothers.
"Just once, Republicans should nominate someone who is as committed to conservative principles as Barack Obama is committed to liberal principles," Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told a crowd of thousands gathered in a South Carolina arena.
Ten candidates were featured at the event just two days after the GOP's 2016 class met for its second debate, a California faceoff that exposed deep rifts between the candidates on immigration, foreign policy and the Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage. Yet the debate, like much of the early 2016 primary season, devolved at many times to a battle of personalities — with brash billionaire Donald Trump the leading antagonist.
Trump was a late scratch for Friday's presidential forum, hosted by Heritage Action for America, the political arm of a Washington-based conservative think.
Even among a friendly crowd, there were tense moments.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush triggered boos when he defended his early support for the Common Core education standards, a policy developed by state leaders in both parties that has become a target of tea party ire.
"I'm for higher standards, and Common Core standards are higher than the standards that exist," Bush said before being interrupted by boos. "If South Carolina wants to be without Common Core standards, great, just make sure the standards that you apply are higher than the ones before you had Common Core. Standards matter. Accountability matters."
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who previously supported Common Core himself, promised that he'd "take all the education money out of Washington" and send it to individual states. In addition to closing the federal education department, he called for the same shifts in federal funding for transportation, the environment, workforce development and Medicaid, the health-care program for the poor.
Walker also called for congressional Republicans to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood even if it causes a government shutdown. He suggested that Senate Republicans use the so-called "nuclear option" to bypass filibuster rules that often require 60 votes to proceed on contentious issues.
"We don't have to play by those rules," Walker said.
The event also featured retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former technology executive Carly Fiorina, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Immigration emerged as a focus for many candidates, who took turns answering questions on the main stage for roughly 20 minutes each.
Rubio, who supports a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally, criticized the government's tracking system for immigrants who come legally and then overstay visas: "America has become a hotel that checks you in and never checks you out."
Carson cited his recent proposal for a guest worker program for such immigrants to perform "work that Americans won't do." He mentioned agricultural workers.
But he avoided a question about whether those workers would have permanent legal status and be eligible for various federal benefits. "Guest workers are not eligible for anything unless we, the American people, decide" they are, he said.
Santorum, who wants to reduce legal immigration, railed against President Barack Obama's call to bring at least 10,000 Syrian refugees to the U.S. He said that previously resettled Syrian immigrants were all Muslims and offered a direct message to the president about the incoming refugees.
"You tell us what the breakdown is of religions," Santorum declared. "There are a lot of religions that are being persecuted in Syria, and they should have a home here in the United States just like everybody else."
The event was awash in fiery rhetoric, but no candidate has struggled more with his party's conservative base than Bush.
"He could perform like Superman in the debates, but he's dead in the water with the tea party and the base generally," said tea party movement co-founder Mark Meckler. "He's the only candidate they absolutely loathe."
South Carolina's Feb. 20 primary shapes up as a critical bridge between the traditional opening states of Iowa and New Hampshire and a March 1 "Super Tuesday" that features a gaggle of Southern states, from Virginia to Texas.
Notably absent from Friday's affair was the state's senior senator and presidential hopeful Lindsey Graham, who finds himself languishing at the bottom of the polls nationally.
Graham is a strong figure politically in South Carolina, but the most conservative activists in the Republican Party view him as too moderate and too willing to negotiate with Democrats.

Arizona authorities arrest suspect in string of freeway shootings

Arizona authorities arrested a man Friday for a string of freeway shootings in Phoenix, adding that they had “forensically linked” the man’s gun to four of the 11 cars hit.
Leslie Allen Merritt Jr., 21, was arrested at a Glendale Wal-Mart at about 7 p.m., said Daniel Scarpinato, a spokesman for Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. Glendale is a suburb located west of Phoenix.
Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead announced the arrest at a news conference two hours after Merritt had been apprehended. Merritt hadn’t been formally charged as of early Saturday.
Milstead said the suspect was arrested in the first four shootings, which took place on Aug. 29 and 30. The agency says the suspect faces an array of charges that include criminal endangerment, assault and unlawful discharge of a firearm. Four of the shootings Merritt allegedly committed hit a tour bus, SUV and two cars on a stretch of Interstate 10 in Phoenix No one has been injured.
The Arizona Republic reported that Leslie Merritt Sr., the man’s father, was physically ill after hearing about his son’s arrest. Merritt told the Associated Press he believes his son is being used as a scapegoat by police who were desperate to make an arrest under immense pressure.
"He has way too much value for human life to even take the slightest or remotest risk of actually injuring someone," he said of his son.
Leslie Allen Merritt Jr.’s Facebook page, confirmed to the Associated Press by his father, indicated that he worked as a landscaper and was a gun enthusiast, but there wasn’t any indication as to why he might have been shooting at cars on the freeway. It wasn’t clear who was responsible for the other reported shootings.
"Are there others out there? Are there copycats? That is possible," Milstead said, adding that the investigation continues.
Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, who received updates about the arrest from the police department, said the arrest was made after the suspect tried to pawn the gun used in the shootings.
"We got him!" Ducey tweeted. "Great work by Arizona DPS investigators and SWAT team."
Brandon Copeland told the Associated Press he witnessed the arrest of the suspect while shopping at the Wal-Mart. He said he was struck at the military-style response as officers stormed the crowded store with semiautomatic weapons and came out with the man in handcuffs.
"My girl goes maybe we should leave, and I'm thinking we should leave. And as soon as she says that, like five, six unmarked units just rolled up with blue and reds flashing everywhere," he said.
Fox 10 Phoenix also reported police were seen impounding a dark grey Saturn from the Wal-Mart parking lot and that one other woman was in custody. However, it was unclear what she was questioned about.
Since Aug. 29, there have been 11 confirmed shootings of vehicles in the Phoenix area involving bullets or other projectiles. Most of the shootings occurred along a stretch of Interstate 10, a major route through the city. There hasn’t been a confirmed shooting since Sept. 10.
Though there have been no serious injuries, a 13-year-old girl’s ear was cut after a bullet shattered a window of a vehicle she was riding in.
The shootings have kept the city on edge and prompted several school districts to keep their buses off freeways and even altered some motorists’ commutes to avoid I-10.
Authorities have offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case and also distributed thousands of fliers in communities along the freeway to raise awareness about the shootings and the reward.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety said state troopers have stepped up patrols, while other agencies assisting in the investigation have included Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa police as well as the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
"I think it's fair to say since a week ago, we've made headway in this case," Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said earlier Friday.
Meanwhile Friday, a judge ordered the release of a 19-year-old man who was detained at a convenience store Sept. 11 and questioned regarding the shootings. Authorities have declined to explain why the man was questioned about the shootings but have said he was not a prime suspect.
He was arrested on an alleged probation violation stemming from marijuana found in the man's house during a Sept. 11 search based on a tip that he was violating probation by possessing a gun. The man had been sentenced to probation on an endangerment conviction for excessive speeding and fleeing from police.
Three young men were arrested and accused of hurling rocks at cars with slingshots in a case that authorities called a copycat to the shootings, but one of the young men denied in jail interviews that was the case.
"We got him!" Ducey tweeted. "Great work by Arizona DPS investigators and SWAT team."
Fox 10 Phoenix reports police were seen impounding a dark grey Saturn from the Wal-Mart parking lot and taking another woman into custody.