Pence dismisses reaction to Trump's assertion Obama is "founder of ISIS" as controversy over semantics"
LA CROSSE -- Indiana Gov. Mike Pence in La Crosse on Thursday afternoon, August 11th dismissed the reaction to Donald Trump's assertion that President Barack Obama is the "founder of ISIS" as a media-driven "controversy over semantics."
Obama did not establish the Islamic State group.
"It really is amazing. It seems like just about every day the national media latches onto some issue about my running mate. Turn on your Twitter account, turn on your cable TV. It`s something else. The only thing they`re not talking about is anything to do with Hillary Clinton! You ever notice that?" Pence said.
Pence defended Trump's comments by saying Obama and Hillary Clinton's policies led to the rise of IS.
He said the pair undid hard fought gains in Iraq by withdrawing troops and creating a "vacuum" for the group to flourish.
Pence's visit to the Badger State came one day after the release of the latest Marquette University Law School Poll on August 10th, which showed Hillary Clinton has expanded her lead to a whopping 52-37% over Donald Trump in Wisconsin among likely voters, up from 4 percent in July.
Later Thursday, Governor Scott Walker will attend a Pence rally in Milwaukee -- after he skipped a Donald Trump campaign stop last week.
Walker spokesman Joe Fadness says the Republican governor will be at a Thursday night Pence rally in Milwaukee.
Pence mentioned at the stop in La Crosse that he was going to see Walker in Milwaukee.
Gov. Mike Pence and Gov. Scott Walker
Walker also showed up the last time Pence was in the state two weeks ago in Waukesha. But Walker skipped the Trump rally in Green Bay.
Walker opted instead to attend an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner 250 miles away.
Walker has been tepid in his support of Trump, especially after he initially refused to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan for re-election. Walker has been more openly supportive of Pence.
Pence's stops Thursday were his third and fourth stops in Wisconsin over 16 days -- showing the importance the campaign is placing on the state.
Hillary Clinton's campaign released the following statement Thursday:
As Governor Mike Pence returns to Wisconsin, elected officials are slamming his attempt to sell Trump’s disastrous economic vision for the country.
“Mike Pence’s record of prioritizing the wealthiest few over hardworking families in his own state speaks for itself,” said Senator Jennifer Shilling. “Now he’s trying to sell that disastrous model to Wisconsin. The Trump-Pence economic plan gives trillions in tax breaks for the wealthy, while leaving Wisconsin’s middle class in the dust. Wisconsin just can’t afford to buy what Mike Pence is here to sell us today.”
“It’s no coincidence we’re seeing American workers get the short end of the stick in Donald Trump and Mike Pence’s economic proposals,” said Representative Jill Billings. “As governor of Indiana, Pence enacted the same plan to ensure that wealthy Hoosiers came out on top -- and he did it while repealing wage protections and opposing an increase to the minimum wage for Indiana’s everyday workers. Mike Pence doesn’t care what his politics cost everyday Hoosiers and it’s clear that Wisconsinites can expect more of the same in a Trump administration."
A new analysis shows Wisconsin’s economy could add 187,000 jobs under Clinton's economic plans, while it could lose 61,000 jobs under a Trump presidency—a difference of 248,000 Wisconsin jobs. The findings are based on two recent reports by Moody's economist and former adviser to John McCain, Mark Zandi. Zandi's analysis showed that under Clinton's plans, the economy overall would create 10.4 million jobs nationwide in her first term alone, while under Trump, the economy would lose 3.4 million jobs and the nation would plunge into a "lengthy recession."
Hillary Clinton has pledged to make the largest investment in good-paying jobs since World War II in her first 100 days in office. This plan would grow jobs in Wisconsin by making the boldest investments in infrastructure since President Eisenhower built the interstate highway system, investing in Wisconsin's manufacturing, and cutting taxes and reducing red tape for Wisconsin's small businesses, among other provisions.