(CNN) – Donald Trump, the business mogul who continues to claim he is seriously interested in mounting a bid for the White House, says he has doubts about whether President Obama was born in the United States.
In an interview with ABC, Trump said he finds it strange “nobody knew” Obama as a young child in Hawaii.
“Let me tell you, I’m a really smart guy. I was a really good student at the best school in the country. The reason I have a little doubt, just a little, is because he grew up and nobody knew him,” Trump said in the interview that aired Thursday.
“If I got the nomination, if I decide to run, you may go back and interview people from my kindergarten. They'll remember me. Nobody comes forward. Nobody knows who he is until later in his life. It's very strange,” the Celebrity Apprentice host added. “The whole thing is very strange.”
Current Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie has said he was a friend of Obama’s parents in Hawaii and remembers when the future president was born. Abercrombie, a former congressman who became governor last December, vowed to produce an original copy of Obama’s birth certificate but abandoned those efforts earlier this year because it is against state law to release private documents, according to his spokeswoman.
In 2008, the Obama campaign produced a certification of live birth that reports his birthplace as Honolulu, Hawaii. He attended kindergarten there before moving to Jakarta, Indonesia with his stepfather at age six. Katherine Nakamoto, Obama’s kindergarten teacher, described the then-five-year old to the Maui News in 2009: “He was a cute, likable, heavy build-child. I could visualize Barry smiling, dressed in his long-sleeved, white shirt tucked into his brown Bermuda shorts, and wearing laced shoes."
In the interview with ABC, Trump also said he would be willing to spend $600 million on his own presidential bid and ran through his opinions of his possible opponents.
Mitt Romney? “He doesn’t resonate.”
Tim Pawlenty? “I don't think he will captivate the voters.”
Jon Huntsman? “When you work for somebody else, as he has worked for Barack Obama, you don't leave and run against that person. It's very disloyal.”
Mike Huckabee? “I really like him. He's the kind of a guy that maybe could really get some votes.”
Sarah Palin? “She did fine as the governor. I think, personally, she made a tragic mistake when she left early. I think she's more qualified than Barack Obama was when he became president.
Newt Gingrich? “You know why I like Gingrich? He just joined my club in New York.”
From CNN Politics
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If he's willing to waste $600 million on a bid that's going nowhere, how smart with money can he be?
Nobody with hair like that is "a really smart guy." He's embarrassing himself, again.
And what planet was The Donald born on?
Trump says there are people who knew him in Kindergarten, but I've never met one so I doubt it's true. He also says that's his real hair.
donald need to stick to his specilization, bricks, steel and mortar
Donald Trump is a joke
Hairball Trump says "...Nobody knows who he is until later in his life..." and further in the article we read "...Current Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie has said he was a friend of Obama’s parents in Hawaii and remembers when the future president was born..."
...a fool and his money... Anyone who claims to be smart probably isn't. Trump is a media wh0re with lots of money to burn and a big mouth. At least he'll employ an army of goons in his quest for the White House and put some of his money back into the economy. Loser.
> Let me tell you, I’m a really smart guy.
If you have to say it, you aren't.
I knew that Trump was an unprincipled, greedy, oportunist, but I never realized he was an idiot as well. Or so lacking in morals that he can support this kind of tripe with a straight face to curry favor with the No-Nothings.
I think it is ridiculous that Donald trump has is playing the “I don't think Obama was born here" card. I want to ask all the birther out there to seriously consider this. If he wasn't do you honestly think he had enough power when he was running for president to keep something like that covered up? I mean do they honestly think his parent knew years ago that he might be president one day and had his birth announced in the newspapers. COME ON! When he was born the likely hood that a black man could be POTUS was not even something that the most optimistic person thought was possible. The Republican Governor at the time said she saw it and it was authentic why would she lie? I believe that no matter what he does birther won't believe it even if she showed his birth certificate along with a video of his birth with signs in the background saying Hawaii. It would not be enough. The fact of the matter is and no one wants to admit it it’s because he is not white. IF he was white we would never question where he was born. Donald Trump has no chance to win and he honestly think Sarah Palin is qualified she is the dumbest woman ever she makes me ashamed to be a woman. She should make every woman feel like she needs to prove at all times how smart she is because she is that dumb. She quit her job because she sucked at it...that was probably the smartest thing she could have ever done for Alaska. It’s the only thing I don't hold against her.
Didn't this gut declare bankruptcy several times in his career?
Oh come on "the Donald"
Give the Governor of Hawaii a call. He knew his parents.
This guy is a clown.
I have doubts about Trump's hairpiece.
Another "character" in the Republican Circus – a second term for Obama is getting stronger as the potential candidates on the other side emerge.
Appears the Palin foot in the mouth disease is spreading quickly to the other GOP candidates: Trump, Gingrich, Bachmann, Huckabee, Barbour.
Yes, we really need a fame-seeking egotist for president. Unbelievable.
Palin is more qualified to be POTUS then Obama was? Have another one!!!
Like that hair was made in the U.S.
This guy is a joke and makes all americans look as bad as his hair.
People with money aren't necessarily smart, just read this interview with Mr. comb over. If his hair had feet there would be a bounty on it. Trump's hair wasn't born in America.
He likes Huckabee, Palin and Newt, just like any other complete and total idiot would.
When a child moves frequently (as my military family did) no one but family is likely to remember him. I doubt anyone earlier than my last two high school years would remember me if asked. This is such a ridiculous argument it doesn't even begin to border on logical.
Guess it just goes to show you – a person can be rich but still remain ignorant, bigoted and downright stupid as proved by Trump. Obama was born in Hawaii, but left when he was a child after his mother married an Indonesian. He lived in Indonesia for several years, so it's possible that those years away from Hawaii created a void. Who remembers a child unless they appear particularly remarkable, i.e. cause a lot of trouble. Perhaps Obama was a quiet child who just minded his own business and people didn't really notice him when he lived in Hawaii as a pre-teen or teenager. But he was there. There are pictures of him on the high school basketball team. Guess his mother faked those, because she just KNEW her son was going to run for President in 2008 and she had to make it seem like he was born and lived in Hawaii for a time. The two birth notices in the local papers, the Certificate of Live Birth, all faked. Okay!!!
who really cares what this media creation thinks....