White House releases Obama's birth certificate
(CNN) - President Obama released his original birth certificate Wednesday, saying the controversy surrounding the issue had become a "sideshow."
“We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We’ve got better stuff to do," said Obama.
The surprise release follows recent and sustained remarks by businessman Donald Trump, among others, that raised doubts as to whether the president was born in the United States.
“Over the last two and half years, I have watched with amusement. I have been puzzled with the degree with which this thing just kept going,” Obama told reporters Wednesday.
Responding to the development, Trump said, "I have accomplished something nobody else has accomplished."
"I want to look at it, but I hope it’s true," he told reporters in New Hampshire. "He should have done it a long time ago. I am really honored to have played such a big role in hopefully getting rid of this issue."
Earlier Wednesday, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said the debate has been "really bad for the Republican Party."
The so-called "birther" debate is "good politics" but "bad for the country," said Pfeiffer.
In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper Monday, Trump repeated his doubts and said he had been told the certificate was "missing."
A new CNN investigation revealed earlier this week what most analysts have been saying since the "birther" controversy erupted during the 2008 presidential campaign: Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961.
While the president has made light of the controversy, the question remained political red meat for some of his critics. A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll showed that nearly 75% of Americans believe Obama was definitely or probably born in the United States. More than four in 10 Republicans, however, believe he probably or definitely was not born in America.
See Obama's Certification of Live Birth
The U.S. Constitution says only "natural born" citizens can become president - a vague clause that some members of the birther movement contend disqualifies Obama because, they insist, he was born outside the United States.
Skeptics contend, among other things, that Obama was born in his father's home country of Kenya.
From CNN Politics
- Bernie Sanders wins Nevada caucuses, CNN projects February 23, 2020 03:52 am
- Pete Buttigieg warns against nominating Sanders as Vermont senator gains momentum February 23, 2020 02:54 am
- The Point: Chris Cillizza's winners and losers from the Nevada caucuses February 23, 2020 04:00 am
- Health care emerges as the top single issue among Nevada Democrats February 22, 2020 10:58 pm
- Yang: 'Someone needs to pull an Andrew Yang' and drop out of Democratic primary February 23, 2020 03:17 am
- What national security adviser Robert O'Brien is saying about Russia briefing 'conflicts' with what lawmakers were told February 23, 2020 03:02 am
I never understood the secrey, and I haven't seen anything yet. We've never known so little about our President- how bout them college and passport records?
Where can we see it? I've got to get my analysts on it asap. 🙂
It's about time! Was that so hard?
they will say it's a forgery.
When it comes to being President, Donald Trump is a poser!
I wonder if Trump and the rest of the Birthers are going to demand a carbon-dating test on a piece of the document just like they did with the Shroud of Turin.
You know of course that birthers will cry "forgery!" at this. Considering the fact that it took 2 1/2 years for him to get around to it, their claim has plausibility...
What will The Donald say now? That it is a forgery? In my mind, the birth announcement in the paper settles it. There is no reason that would have been false, since the information at Obama;s birth came to the paper from the Hawaii Health Department. Time for the GOP to move on to serious issues, of which there are plenty.
This won't satisfy the birthers, because they'll just claim that the certificate is phony. Like the moon landing hoaxers, 9/11 nuts, etc., all evidence contrary to their beliefs is dismissed.
Oh come on – can't you already hear, "How do we know this wasn't faked?"
We'll see.
Yea, the proof will be in the originality and age of the document....
Cool. Finally!
John McCain has a more serious issue with his birth certificate but very few raised that issue before. Omaba's brith cert. is obviously is a racist issue.
Oh lovely, now he's giving in to idiots who don't have any right to the information they are seeking. Personally I think it's time for the birthers to prove their right to be in America – show us YOUR birth certificates fools or get out of our country
Where is it? The Long form?
Great-now maybe with that out of the way we can work on the important matters-like defeating President Obama in 2012 and saving this country from any further slide.
There is so many things going on in the country and people are soooo ignorant!!! Who cares if the President was born in the US GET OVER IT!!!! Focus on your own family and keeping your job!!
Photoshop'd IMO.
Finally! While I have no doubt he was born in the US, this was a ridiculous issue to keep hanging out there.
where is it?
If Obama senior is listed as his father then he is NOT a Natural Born Citizen but if Frank Marshall Davis is his listed father then he would be a Natural Born Citizen and fully legal and qualified to be POTUS.
...attaboy, must've been under the sofa cushion all this time.
Great – why the delay and fillabustering?
About time! Wonder if its a fake! hahahahaha
Now let's see his academic records....