Outrage as Donald Trump fails to correct ignorant supporter who stood up and said President Obama is a Muslim and 'not even an American' during heated live Q&A 

  • Donald Trump held Q&A session in New Hampshire day after GOP debate
  • First question asked how USA can deal with 'foreign Muslims like Obama'
  • Real estate mogul said 'we're going to be looking at a lot of different things'
  • He failed to correct the man – unlike John McCain who DID at a rally in 2008
  • Reacting to uproar, Trump said REAL issue is 'Obama's war on Christians'

Donald Trump failed to correct one of his supporters who called President Barack Obama a Muslim and a foreigner at a rally on Thursday.

The real estate mogul opened his event in Rochester, New Hampshire, by inviting supporters to ask him questions. 'Make them vicious, violent, terrible questions,' he said.

'We have a problem in this country. It's called Muslims,' began the first question of the night at Trump's event.

'You know our current president is one. You know he's not even an American. We have training camps growing where they want to kill us. That's my question, when can we get rid of them?'

Despite the fact the president is a Christian who was born in Hawaii, Trump declined to correct the unidentified audience member.

He asked the crowd, however: 'We need this question? This is the first question?'

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Donald Trump
Audience member who asked the question

Controversy: Donald Trump has sparked outrage at a question-and-answer session in Rochester, New Hampshire, by failing to correct an ignorant supporter (right) who said Obama is a Muslim and not an American. Trump has responded to outrage saying 'the real issue is the Obama is waging a war on Christians'

Trump started his question-and-answer session by listing polls that had him winning last night's GOP debate

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The real estate mogul, who famously challenged Obama to produce his birth certificate, responded: 'A lot of people are saying that and a lot of people are saying that bad things are happening out there. We're going to be looking at that and a lot of different things.'

Another man in the audience then stood and said: 'I applaud the gentleman who stood and said Obama is a Muslim born abroad and about the military camps, everyone knows that.'

Trump replied, 'right,' before turning to another questioner. 

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz hammered the billionaire, saying that the Republican front-runner'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.'

'Still, the RNC chair believes Trump is "a net positive" for the Republican Party,' she said. The fact is that Trump and his fellow Republican candidates who continue to spew hatred and divide us, are an abysmal negative for America as well and for the future of our political discourse.'

'They should be ashamed and all Republican presidential candidates must denounce Trump’s comments immediately or will be tacitly agreeing with him.'

The heated rally saw audience members raging at each other as Donald Trump opened the floor to questions

The heated rally saw audience members raging at each other as Donald Trump opened the floor to questions

This man was seen shouting and gesticulating wildly during the talk as a police officer hovered beside him

This man was seen shouting and gesticulating wildly during the talk as a police officer hovered beside him

Among outraged reactions, Twitter users have been sharing a Vine of seemingly the only person in the audience who shakes their head as the question is asked. 

Hillary Clinton also joined the storm of anger, tweeting: 'Donald Trump not denouncing false statements about POTUS & hateful rhetoric about Muslims is disturbing, & just plain wrong. Cut it out.' 

Trump has since responded to the uproar by issuing a statement to the Washington Post.

'The media wants to make this issue about Obama. The bigger issue is that Obama is waging a war against Christians,' he said. 'Christians need support in this country. Their religious liberty is at stake.' 

His campaign team has since claimed Trump did not hear the man's question clearly.

Nonetheless, his answer, and failure to correct the man, lies in stark contract with Senator John McCain's response to a similar question on the campaign trail in 2008.

A supporter of the Republican nominee said then: 'Frankly we're scared of an Obama presidency.'

McCain responded: 'I want to be President of the United States and I obviously do not want Sen. Obama to be, but I have to tell you, I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as President of the United States.' 

Trump mocked the length of the GOP debate, which he also compared to a WWE match, during his rally

Trump mocked the length of the GOP debate, which he also compared to a WWE match, during his rally

Supporters reached out in glee to touch the real estate mogul as he took to the stage on Thursday night

Supporters reached out in glee to touch the real estate mogul as he took to the stage on Thursday night

People who could not get into the gymnasium watch from a doorway as Donald Trump spoke at a town hall

People who could not get into the gymnasium watch from a doorway as Donald Trump spoke at a town hall

Trump remains one of the most prominent challengers to Obama's legitimacy as an American leader – questioning his nationality as recently as this summer.

In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper in July, he said he 'doesn't know' if Obama was born in the United States.

Cooper lashed out at The Donald on Thursday night, saying during his evening broadcast that 'if you're an actual leader if you actually want to lead people in this country and you want to be president to all people in this country – including the Muslim population in this country – you don’t just pander to every loudmouth in your audience.'

Earlier in Trump's rally, his first after the GOP debate, he listed selected polls that claimed he beat Carly Fiorina on Wednesday night after the only female candidate gave a surprisingly well-received performance.

Trump, who remains ahead in most opinion polls, has also declared that he would 'accept no salary' if he were elected president. 

At one point he asked the audience for a show of hands from anyone who believed in climate change. Just a couple lifted their arms and The Donald laughed: 'Not many.'

He also fielded one audience member's conspiracy theory that members of the Islamic State are waging a 'new holocaust on New Hampshire by loading people in boxcars and beheading them.' Trump did not comment on her theory. 

Thousands clamored to get near the front of the room to catch a glimpse of the front-runner

Thousands clamored to get near the front of the room to catch a glimpse of the front-runner

Jeb Bush's post-debate rally in Las Vegas, however, was a quiet affair with few people in the town hall

Jeb Bush's post-debate rally in Las Vegas, however, was a quiet affair with few people in the town hall

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