White House releases Obama's birth certificate
April 27th, 2011
09:56 AM ET
12 years ago

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."

Obama's birth certificate

“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."

Other Republicans weigh in

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.


Filed under: President Obama
soundoff (1,207 Responses)
  1. Not Chicken Little

    No, as usual CNN mis-reports – and it's on purpose! Some may claim he was born in Kenya. But the Constitution says the President must be a "natural born citizen", which is not the same as "citizen" or "native born" – it means BOTH parents must be US Citizens. Obama's father was NOT a US Citizen.

    April 27, 2011 09:28 am at 9:28 am |
  2. Mark

    Amazing. look at the morons STILL spewing there idiot rantings. These are the MOST incredibly STUPID people on the planet. Well, next to the mideast.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  3. Eric

    Why was that so hard for this guy .... He is the most devisive president this country has ever seen. He will never get my vote and NO, it is not because he is black. People who scream Racism all the time are usually the real bigots.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  4. wolffer

    Okay; Trump...ur turn; you can stop the "bloody" crying..Show us your tax return; you fraud!!!

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  5. Patty

    I just lost lots of respect for Donald Trump and gained even more for our President!! I was even considering voting for Trump if he ran-NOT ANYMORE!! Get with the REAL issues Donald!

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  6. Gman

    It's still a copy. In fact, it's the third version Obama has released so far. It i obviously not a photoopy of the original by looking at the borders. Read the bottom of the document. Look at the border and how it is the same as the page. I'm not sure this is copy of the original.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  7. PCN2485

    I always knew he was a US citizen because if he wasn't the Clinton machine would have got him on it. What I want is his college transcripts. Every Obama sycophant tells me how brilliant he is, can't say I've seen it in his actions so may be his grades will prove it.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  8. Anthony

    Wow, you Liberals are vile! Name calling, insults, etc. At least the Conservatives act like mature adults.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  9. Scrape

    Well chosen battle...morons.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  10. memo2

    It doesn't matter too late people make their main's already don't you see, they did is the reason now trying to do anything they can to change peoples main.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  11. Yvette

    I congratulate Mr. Trump. He was able to do something that the media had never been able to do. So many people said there was no long form. This proves that EVERYONE born in the US has a long form. I don't understand why people say that the Live Birth certificate was the only thing available. No it's not people and this is proof. Why Obama never did this simple task is confusing and strange. To deliberately hold something back is not right.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  12. Anonymous

    Who wants to bet that the nutbase still wont believe it?

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  13. Joe

    It's not a fake...It is a CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH that has been generated recently. It is not a BIRTH CERTIFICATE. A BIRTH CERTIFICATE is a document that is generated on the actual day of birth or soon thereafter and records the individuals weight, race, time of birth, doctor on record etc... This particular document is pretty much a summary document that can be generated by the local government office. It is genuine in the fact that the state of Hawaii is generating it but doesn't document the citizens actual birth. It is a "replacement" for a lost or abandoned document.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  14. CWhatsNew

    Wow! This is the first time that a US President has to release his live birthcertificate. Why a black president is subject to SPECIAL SCRUITINY?

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  15. debbie

    He should not have even had to do this but I understand why. And those0 of you demandin his college transcripts and passport papers just shut the hell up. Why didn't you care that bussh bought he way into college or care that he bankrupted numerous businesses he owned but claimed financial smarts or other crap he did like lie about WMD's and authorize war crimes? Ignorance ans stupidity runs amuck in the GOP and tea party. I BEG you – GO AWAY before you ruin America more.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  16. James

    Hussein....thats all I gotta say...

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  17. JoAnne.

    The GOP had nothing to do with the birthed issue. It was Jerome corsi and world net daily. I have always said that we had to deal with the fact that his mother, his grandparents, this country and American unversities produced the little communist in chief in the White House. His mother was obviously an American citizen. End of the citizen question.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  18. Ganan

    There-was THAT so hard? I thought when he took office he was going to be "as transparent as possible"-I guess NOT. This guy is a load.............

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  19. Tstar

    LindaB and all you other Beck worshippers can put this in your corn cob pipe and smoke it! It would be nice to think this will finally silence the ignorance out there, but you Repubes were never much on facts. As always....see you in your 2nd term President Obama! Dems actually like it when you guys get together and let all that ignorance and bigotry come out for all to see! Keep talking....you prove our point all the time!

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  20. Sharon Bassett

    I am sooooooo happy to see the"pin" in the balloon of Mr. Trump...he will not run for president! He's all "talk" & no show.( In any case, Mr.Trump has no government history to qualify him for presidential candidacy. Whay has no one pointed THAT out?) President Obama has his right to privacy. Trump has no business taking credit for anything!

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  21. Zog

    Dear LindaB – I think it's safe to say from your rant that YOU do not speak for the AMERICAN PEOPLE, you are clearly only speaking for yourself. Please keep it that way. Now, anyone want to hazard a guess on what the 'B' stands for......?

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  22. BlueinaRedState

    Yippee! Now the birthers will have their"birther" shells peeled away revealing the true reason for their so-called cause: RACISM! Yep, there's a black man in the White House. You lost. Move on...or out! America's passin' you by.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  23. B Ford

    The wonders of Adobe Illustrator. What a joke this form is. By the way, at least get two different people to sign for the parent and the attendant. Geez, could it be anymore obvious that the same person signed it?

    Total arrogance by our lazy, ghetto-rich marxist muslim brother Barry Hussein Obama. Sometimes I don't know if he's really stupid or really smart - either way, he has to go.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  24. yuhmad

    This is plain right out racist. How come all the other US Presidents never had to show there birth certificates? This simply proof that as a Black people, we have to work twice as hard to proof ourselves. This is the most ridiculous story that have ever been heard. Donald Trump needs to show his proof as Presidency including his marriages, education. Is he going to be working for the middle and poor classes? How will the middle and poor classes going to be treated under Trump presidency? Trump needs to look and see what is going on in his back yard from his childhood to now.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
  25. Jeremy

    About time .. what took so long, anyhow .. maybe he can get some real work done now.

    April 27, 2011 09:29 am at 9:29 am |
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