Media

GQ columnist apologizes for claim Trump radicalized ‘more people than ISIS ever did’

by Joe Concha - 10/29/18 7:46 PM ET

GQ columnist Julia Ioffe is apologizing after claiming that President Trump “has radicalized so many more people than ISIS [the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria] ever did” during a segment on CNN’s “The Lead.”

The commentary comes two days after a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue that left 11 people dead, which prompted Ioffe to blame the president in a controversial tweet.

{mosads}”And a word to my fellow American Jews: This president makes this possible,” Ioffe wrote shortly after the shooting on Saturday. “Here. Where you live. I hope the embassy move over there [in Israel], where you don’t live was worth it.”

On Monday, Ioffe went further in pointing the finger at Trump, which led to condemnation from other panelists on the program.

“I think this president, one of the things that he really launched his presidential run on is talking about Islamic radicalization,” Ioffe said during a panel discussion on Jake Tapper’s show. “And this president has radicalized so many more people than ISIS ever did. I mean, the way he talks, the way he—“

“That’s just — it’s unconscionable for you to say that,” CNN contributor David Urban interjected.

“The way that he allows these people — the way he winks and nods to these groups. The way he says, ‘I know I’m not supposed to say it, but I’m a nationalist,’ ” Ioffe continued. “The way that he hems and haws when he has to condemn these people and kind of gritting his teeth kind of says, ‘fine, OK, I condemn this.’ ”

“Hold on. For you not to push back on that — for her to say, the president of the United States has radicalized more people than ISIS is irresponsible,” Urban told Tapper.

“OK, you disagree with it,” Tapper replied to Urban.

“It’s not true. Based upon what? How many camps have you gone into and interrogated ISIS folks? Do you know? What do you base it upon?” Urban asked Ioffe.

“ISIS had like 10,000 members. I think the president has far more supporters who espouse an equally hateful ideology,” Ioffe retorted.

The Republican National Committee responded to the segment late Monday afternoon, with rapid-response director Michael Ahrens calling it “insane.”

On CNN, @juliaioffe just said “this president has radicalized so many more people than ISIS ever did.”

Insane. pic.twitter.com/zlV8jLpQRn

— Michael Ahrens (@michael_ahrens) October 29, 2018

Ioffe apologized later in the program and on Twitter.

I clarified and apologized on air, but I’ll say it again here. This has been a very emotional and painful time, but I absolutely should not have gone with such hyperbole on the air. I apologize.

— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) October 29, 2018

Ioffe is no stranger to controversy, having been fired by Politico in December 2016 after implying on Twitter that then-President-elect Trump was having sexual relations with his daughter, Ivanka.