Donald Trump used a short statement at the end of a weird campaign event to attempt to separate himself from the so-called birther movement questioning President Barack Obama’s citizenship, of which he had always been the most prominent champion.
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For the first time, Donald Trump said publicly the president is, indeed, American by birth.
Trump walked off the stage without taking questions.
Jason Miller, a spokesman for GOP nominee Donald Trump’s campaign, seized on those remarks, citing them as an admission that the Clinton campaign initiated the birther conspiracy.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday openly pondered what might happen to Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival, if her security detail made a decision to ditch its guns. She said Trump owes Obama an “apology”.
Jerome Corsi, the WorldNetDaily “reporter” who collaborated with Trump on his birther campaign and wrote two books on the subject, called in today to conservative radio host Rusty Humphries’ program but shut down when Humphries asked him about Trump’s latest comments. “He is unfit to be President and it is time Republican leaders stand up to denounce this disturbing behavior in their nominee”.
Although Trump had been expected to address the issue from the start of Friday’s event, half an hour or so was taken up with testimonials on his behalf from retired military officers.
“We’ve got so many other things to do”, Obama said adding he’s “pretty confident about where I was born, I think most people were, as well”. “Well, I’m not that shocked actually – it’s fairly typical”. “They should disarm. I think they should disarm immediately, what do you think, yes?”, he said.
But five years on, now in a tight presidential election race, Trump’s position has become a liability, repulsing black, Hispanic and moderate voters whose support he needs to win the Oval Office.
Mr Trump said at a campaign event in Washington: “President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period”.
Trump’s claim that Clinton launched the birther movement during her unsuccessful primary run against Obama in 2008 is unsubstantiated and long denied by Clinton. She said Trump was trying “to delegitimize our first black president”. Among them was Clinton campaign volunteer Patricia Ochan. “I just don’t want to answer it yet”.
“Hillary Clinton and her campaign started the birther controversy”, he said. I finished it. I finished it. “Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know”.
“We got played again by the Trump campaign, which is what they do”, said CNN’s John King.
Following publication of that exchange, the Trump campaign signaled that the candidate would make a statement about Obama’s birthplace on Friday.
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Some analysts greeted Trump’s brief announcement Friday with skepticism. Let’s see what happens to her. Now that Trump has publicly changed his mind, polls may show Republicans shifting their stance, too.
