Donald Trump has centered his unlikely rise from reality television star to onetime 91裸聊视频� and potentially future 91裸聊视频� president on the idea that he91裸聊视频檚 wiser than Washington91裸聊视频檚 bumbling political class, once going so far as to label himself a 91裸聊视频渧ery stable genius.91裸聊视频�

But when it comes to one of history91裸聊视频檚 darkest moments, Trump is professing ignorance.

Facing criticism for repeatedly harnessing rhetoric once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are 91裸聊视频減oisoning the blood of our country,91裸聊视频� Trump insisted he had no idea that one of the world91裸聊视频檚 most reviled and infamous figures once used similar words. The Nazi dictator spoke of impure Jewish blood 91裸聊视频減oisoning91裸聊视频� Aryan German blood to dehumanize Jews and justify the systemic murder of millions during the Holocaust.

91裸聊视频淚 never knew that Hitler said it,91裸聊视频� Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Friday, volunteering once again that he never read Hitler91裸聊视频檚 biographical manifesto, 91裸聊视频淢ein Kampf.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 know nothing about Hitler,91裸聊视频� he insisted. 91裸聊视频淚 have no idea what Hitler said other than (what) I91裸聊视频檝e seen on the news. And that91裸聊视频檚 a very, entirely different thing than what I91裸聊视频檓 saying.91裸聊视频�

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Trump91裸聊视频檚 assertion that he knows so little about one of the 20th century91裸聊视频檚 most documented figures is notable for someone seeking the presidency, a role steeped in and shaped by history. But claiming ignorance, particularly when it comes to people who espouse racist or antisemitic rhetoric, is a tactic Trump has repeatedly deployed when aiming to distance himself from uncomfortable storylines.

After he was endorsed by former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke during his winning 2016 campaign, Trump insisted he had no knowledge of the white supremacist who had run for office numerous times and is described by the Anti-Defamation League as 91裸聊视频減erhaps America91裸聊视频檚 most well-known racist and anti-Semite.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淛ust so you understand, I don91裸聊视频檛 know anything about David Duke, OK?91裸聊视频� he told CNN91裸聊视频檚 Jake Tapper in February 2016. 91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know anything about what you91裸聊视频檙e even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists.91裸聊视频�

Asked if he would condemn the white supremacists supporting him, Trump said he would 91裸聊视频渉ave to look at the group. I mean, I don91裸聊视频檛 know what group you91裸聊视频檙e talking about.91裸聊视频� He continued to repeat that assertion even after Tapper said he was referring to the KKK.

Trump has also pleaded ignorance in other cases.

As he ran for reelection in 2020, Trump said he didn91裸聊视频檛 know much about QAnon, the convoluted conspiracy that alleges Democrats are involved in a satanic pedophilia ring and casts Trump as the nation91裸聊视频檚 savior 91裸聊视频� even as he retweeted accounts promoting the conspiracy.

91裸聊视频淚 know nothing about it,91裸聊视频� he said during an NBC town hall. Nonetheless, he refused to rule it out as false. 91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know that and neither do you,91裸聊视频� he said.

It was the same when Trump was asked to condemn the Proud Boys militia group, which was key in organizing the assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Enrique Tarrio and other members of the far-right extremist group have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy and other crimes for their part in the attack, which was part of a desperate bid to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know who the Proud Boys are,91裸聊视频� Trump told reporters after instructing the group, during a presidential debate, to 91裸聊视频淪tand back and stand by.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 mean, you91裸聊视频檒l have to give me a definition 91裸聊视频榗ause I don91裸聊视频檛 really know who they are,91裸聊视频� Trump said of the group, which was drawing headlines at the time.

Trump has also suggested he was unaware of some of the most consequential periods of American history. At a recent rally in Reno, Nevada, Trump said he had to ask Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to define the post-Civil War era known as Reconstruction as he boasted about his growing popularity with Hispanic voters and Republican wins along the border.

91裸聊视频淭hey say the first time since Reconstruction. You know what Reconstruction means? That means the Civil War,91裸聊视频� Trump told the audience. 91裸聊视频淚 said, 91裸聊视频楪ive me a definition, governor, of Reconstruction. You said I91裸聊视频檓 the first one to win all of these towns since Reconstruction.91裸聊视频� He said, 91裸聊视频榃ell, Reconstruction: since the Civil War.91裸聊视频� That91裸聊视频檚 a long time ago. That91裸聊视频檚 pretty good.91裸聊视频�

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said Trump 91裸聊视频渉as been very clear that he91裸聊视频檚 talking about criminals and terrorists who have crossed the border under Joe Biden91裸聊视频檚 watch. When he91裸聊视频檚 back in the White House, the United States will return to a secure border and a system that places the safety and security of Americans first.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频楾he most savage crime91裸聊视频�

The former president91裸聊视频檚 claims about Hitler are particularly notable given his upbringing in New York, home to one of the nation91裸聊视频檚 largest Jewish populations.

Trump has also participated in Holocaust memorial events. He spoke at a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol hosted by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2017, where he denounced Holocaust deniers as accomplices to 91裸聊视频渉orrible evil.91裸聊视频� And he paid a brief visit to Yad Vashem, Israel91裸聊视频檚 national Holocaust memorial, where he called the Nazi extermination of 6 million Jews 91裸聊视频渢he most savage crime against God and his children.91裸聊视频�

Trump91裸聊视频檚 insistence that he has not read 91裸聊视频淢ein Kampf91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� an assertion he also made at an Iowa rally last week 91裸聊视频� evoked a different Hitler book he once allegedly had in his possession.

Journalist Marie Brenner reported in Vanity Fair magazine in 1990 that Trump91裸聊视频檚 ex-wife, Ivana Trump, told her lawyer that, 91裸聊视频渇rom time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler91裸聊视频檚 collected speeches, 91裸聊视频楳y New Order,91裸聊视频� which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed.91裸聊视频�

Trump told Brenner that, 91裸聊视频渋t was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of 91裸聊视频楳ein Kampf,91裸聊视频� and he91裸聊视频檚 a Jew.91裸聊视频� Davis confirmed to Brenner that he had indeed given Trump 91裸聊视频漚 book about Hitler,91裸聊视频� but it was 91裸聊视频淢y New Order, 91裸聊视频� a collection of Hitler91裸聊视频檚 speeches. 91裸聊视频淚 thought he would find it interesting,91裸聊视频� David said, adding, 91裸聊视频淚 am his friend, but I91裸聊视频檓 not Jewish.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淟ater, Trump returned to this subject.,91裸聊视频� Brenner wrote. 91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频業f I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Brenner wrote.

History

Knowing basic American history is important for a president, said, Princeton University professor Julian Zelizer, who studies political history.

91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 need a historian as president, but certainly you want a president with a feel for some of the basic parts of American history, of world history,91裸聊视频� he said, noting, for instance, that Reconstruction was a 91裸聊视频渁 formative moment for civil rights and race relations.91裸聊视频�

In 91裸聊视频淢ein Kampf,91裸聊视频� Hitler wrote that, 91裸聊视频淎ll great cultures of the past perished only because the originally creative race died out from blood poisoning.91裸聊视频�

Trump told Hewitt his message was 91裸聊视频渧ery different91裸聊视频� and he had 91裸聊视频渮ero91裸聊视频� racist intent.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 not a student of Hitler. I never read his works,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hey say that he said something about blood. He didn91裸聊视频檛 say it the way I said it, either, by the way. It91裸聊视频檚 a very different kind of a statement. What I91裸聊视频檓 saying when I talk about people coming into our country is they are destroying our country.91裸聊视频�

Still, he repeated 91裸聊视频減oisoning91裸聊视频� references eight times.

Among those references: 91裸聊视频淭hey are poisoning our country. They are poisoning the blood of our country. They91裸聊视频檙e coming from all over the world. They91裸聊视频檙e coming from prisons. They91裸聊视频檙e coming from mental institutions and insane asylums. They91裸聊视频檙e terrorists. Absolutely that91裸聊视频檚 poisoning our country. That91裸聊视频檚 poisoning the blood of our country. And that91裸聊视频檚 what91裸聊视频檚 happening.91裸聊视频�

Jill Colvin, The Associated Press