Donald Trump has centered his unlikely rise from reality television star to onetime 害羞草研究所� and potentially future 害羞草研究所� president on the idea that he害羞草研究所檚 wiser than Washington害羞草研究所檚 bumbling political class, once going so far as to label himself a 害羞草研究所渧ery stable genius.害羞草研究所�

But when it comes to one of history害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所減oisoning the blood of our country,害羞草研究所� Trump insisted he had no idea that one of the world害羞草研究所檚 most reviled and infamous figures once used similar words. The Nazi dictator spoke of impure Jewish blood 害羞草研究所減oisoning害羞草研究所� Aryan German blood to dehumanize Jews and justify the systemic murder of millions during the Holocaust.

害羞草研究所淚 never knew that Hitler said it,害羞草研究所� Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Friday, volunteering once again that he never read Hitler害羞草研究所檚 biographical manifesto, 害羞草研究所淢ein Kampf.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 know nothing about Hitler,害羞草研究所� he insisted. 害羞草研究所淚 have no idea what Hitler said other than (what) I害羞草研究所檝e seen on the news. And that害羞草研究所檚 a very, entirely different thing than what I害羞草研究所檓 saying.害羞草研究所�

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Trump害羞草研究所檚 assertion that he knows so little about one of the 20th century害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所減erhaps America害羞草研究所檚 most well-known racist and anti-Semite.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淛ust so you understand, I don害羞草研究所檛 know anything about David Duke, OK?害羞草研究所� he told CNN害羞草研究所檚 Jake Tapper in February 2016. 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know anything about what you害羞草研究所檙e even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists.害羞草研究所�

Asked if he would condemn the white supremacists supporting him, Trump said he would 害羞草研究所渉ave to look at the group. I mean, I don害羞草研究所檛 know what group you害羞草研究所檙e talking about.害羞草研究所� 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 didn害羞草研究所檛 know much about QAnon, the convoluted conspiracy that alleges Democrats are involved in a satanic pedophilia ring and casts Trump as the nation害羞草研究所檚 savior 害羞草研究所� even as he retweeted accounts promoting the conspiracy.

害羞草研究所淚 know nothing about it,害羞草研究所� he said during an NBC town hall. Nonetheless, he refused to rule it out as false. 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know that and neither do you,害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know who the Proud Boys are,害羞草研究所� Trump told reporters after instructing the group, during a presidential debate, to 害羞草研究所淪tand back and stand by.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 mean, you害羞草研究所檒l have to give me a definition 害羞草研究所榗ause I don害羞草研究所檛 really know who they are,害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淭hey say the first time since Reconstruction. You know what Reconstruction means? That means the Civil War,害羞草研究所� Trump told the audience. 害羞草研究所淚 said, 害羞草研究所楪ive me a definition, governor, of Reconstruction. You said I害羞草研究所檓 the first one to win all of these towns since Reconstruction.害羞草研究所� He said, 害羞草研究所榃ell, Reconstruction: since the Civil War.害羞草研究所� That害羞草研究所檚 a long time ago. That害羞草研究所檚 pretty good.害羞草研究所�

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said Trump 害羞草研究所渉as been very clear that he害羞草研究所檚 talking about criminals and terrorists who have crossed the border under Joe Biden害羞草研究所檚 watch. When he害羞草研究所檚 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.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所楾he most savage crime害羞草研究所�

The former president害羞草研究所檚 claims about Hitler are particularly notable given his upbringing in New York, home to one of the nation害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所渉orrible evil.害羞草研究所� And he paid a brief visit to Yad Vashem, Israel害羞草研究所檚 national Holocaust memorial, where he called the Nazi extermination of 6 million Jews 害羞草研究所渢he most savage crime against God and his children.害羞草研究所�

Trump害羞草研究所檚 insistence that he has not read 害羞草研究所淢ein Kampf害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� an assertion he also made at an Iowa rally last week 害羞草研究所� evoked a different Hitler book he once allegedly had in his possession.

Journalist Marie Brenner reported in Vanity Fair magazine in 1990 that Trump害羞草研究所檚 ex-wife, Ivana Trump, told her lawyer that, 害羞草研究所渇rom time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler害羞草研究所檚 collected speeches, 害羞草研究所楳y New Order,害羞草研究所� which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed.害羞草研究所�

Trump told Brenner that, 害羞草研究所渋t was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of 害羞草研究所楳ein Kampf,害羞草研究所� and he害羞草研究所檚 a Jew.害羞草研究所� Davis confirmed to Brenner that he had indeed given Trump 害羞草研究所漚 book about Hitler,害羞草研究所� but it was 害羞草研究所淢y New Order, 害羞草研究所� a collection of Hitler害羞草研究所檚 speeches. 害羞草研究所淚 thought he would find it interesting,害羞草研究所� David said, adding, 害羞草研究所淚 am his friend, but I害羞草研究所檓 not Jewish.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淟ater, Trump returned to this subject.,害羞草研究所� Brenner wrote. 害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克鶚If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Brenner wrote.

History

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

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 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,害羞草研究所� he said, noting, for instance, that Reconstruction was a 害羞草研究所渁 formative moment for civil rights and race relations.害羞草研究所�

In 害羞草研究所淢ein Kampf,害羞草研究所� Hitler wrote that, 害羞草研究所淎ll great cultures of the past perished only because the originally creative race died out from blood poisoning.害羞草研究所�

Trump told Hewitt his message was 害羞草研究所渧ery different害羞草研究所� and he had 害羞草研究所渮ero害羞草研究所� racist intent.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not a student of Hitler. I never read his works,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hey say that he said something about blood. He didn害羞草研究所檛 say it the way I said it, either, by the way. It害羞草研究所檚 a very different kind of a statement. What I害羞草研究所檓 saying when I talk about people coming into our country is they are destroying our country.害羞草研究所�

Still, he repeated 害羞草研究所減oisoning害羞草研究所� references eight times.

Among those references: 害羞草研究所淭hey are poisoning our country. They are poisoning the blood of our country. They害羞草研究所檙e coming from all over the world. They害羞草研究所檙e coming from prisons. They害羞草研究所檙e coming from mental institutions and insane asylums. They害羞草研究所檙e terrorists. Absolutely that害羞草研究所檚 poisoning our country. That害羞草研究所檚 poisoning the blood of our country. And that害羞草研究所檚 what害羞草研究所檚 happening.害羞草研究所�

Jill Colvin, The Associated Press