Donald Trump did a rare about-face Thursday, deleting a tweet he retweeted that suggested that genetically modified corn crops were creating "issues in the brain" for Iowa voters. A "young intern," he said, was to blame and "apologizes."
The original tweet, from Twitter user @mygreenhippo, alluded to a newly released Quinnipiac University poll that showed Trump in second place to retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson in the Hawkeye state. The poll showed Carson with 28%, compared to 20% for Trump.
#BenCarson is now leading in the #polls in #Iowa... Too much #Monsanto in the #corn creates issues in the brain? @realDonaldTrump #GOP— Nicolas R-V (@mygreenhippo) October 22, 2015
Trump changed course, saying that the intern "apologizes," which is about as close as Trump gets to apologizing himself.
The young intern who accidentally did a Retweet apologizes.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2015
Taking swipes at the Hawkeye State’s voters is a sure-fire way to get the wrong kind of attention. Earlier this campaign cycle, a longtime Republican operative infuriated party officials with a series of tweets mocking the state’s caucus and its voters.
Jeb Bush’s chief strategist David Kochel characterized Trump as thin-skinned for his response.
So @realDonaldTrump has decided after losing one IA poll that Iowans are dumb! Wow. Unreal. #thinskin #cantwin https://t.co/W4wpC9I62R— David Kochel (@ddkochel) October 22, 2015