Donald Trump dodged a question that called Obama a Muslim
He's probably regretting that decision now.
The first questioner called US President Barack Obama a Muslim, accused him of not being an American, and asked Trump when America can get rid of Muslims.
"We have a problem in this country - it's called Muslims," the man said. "We know our current president is one. You know he's not even an American - birth certificate, man! We have training camps growing, where they want to kill us. That's my question. When can we get rid of them?"
Trump responded by steering clear of the question entirely and giving a vague catch-all statement before quickly calling for another question.
"We're going to be looking at a lot of different things, and a lot of people are saying that and saying that bad things are happening out there. We're going to be looking at that and plenty of other things," said Trump.
The incident looks like classic off-the-cuff damage control, but it does raise issues for a campaign already frequently immersed in controversy.
Trump did not correct the blatant falsehood that Obama is a Muslim, nor did he address the inherent Islamophobia of the question, which called American Muslims "a problem."
On top of that, the question also calls to mind recent coverage of Trump's popularity among white supremacists.
And, as if that were not enough, the episode is reminds us that Trump was and still is a "birther," despite the White House releasing Obama's birth certificate four years ago. Of course, this may not be an issue with Trump's supporters who, according to recent polls, do believe that the president is a Muslim who was born outside the United States.