Donald Trump Retreats From Obama ‘Birther’ Theory

[EricMaundry]

Source: New York Times

Donald J. Trump publicly retreated from his “birther” campaign on Friday, acknowledging that President Obama was born in the United States and saying that he wanted to move on from the conspiracy theory that he has been clinging to for years.

Marking a sharp reversal from his previous position, Mr. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, said at a news conference that he was now satisfied that Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii.

“President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period,” Mr. Trump said. “Now, we all want to get back to making America strong and great again.”

Mr. Trump’s remark came after Mr. Obama, in a brief exchange on Friday with reporters at the White House, again expressed scorn for the entire subject. “I was pretty confident about where I was born,” he said. “I think most people were as well. My hope would be that the presidential election reflects more serious issues than that.”

Mr. Trump’s shift comes as he is trying to make amends with black voters who have been offended by the way he has challenged the legitimacy of the country’s first black president.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/politics/donald-trump-birther-obama.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

[Sophiegirl]

1. Essentially, what he did was...

....quickly say, Yeah, he was born in America." Then, turn and run away as fast as possible lest anyone ask him a follow up question.

[karynnj]

10. As you said - in the most surly, snotty manner I have ever seen any one over the age of 6 use

It had the feel of a little kid having to admit he was wrong when he didn't believe he was. Step one - blame it on someone else (HRC) and defend your own action as both heroic and misunderstood.

The fact is that when he started this -- against a sitting President, it had long been proven to any person with an ounce of sanity that he was born in Hawaii. The sitting Republican governor of the State confirmed it in 2008 AND the Honolulu paper had printed his name among the list of babies born at one of the local hospitals -- information that came directly (and routinely) from the hospital.

Then, Trump sent his extra special experts to Hawaii -- that no one ever heard anything from. The President did put out his long form birth certificate in response to Trump and others. This was NOT an accomplishment, it was the result of a despicable, pervasive lie on the part of the right wing that tried to discredit the President -- even though a few years later, they had no problem with Cruz being born in Canada - explaining his mother was American and that was enough. Kansas apparently is not American enough if the baby is black.

Not to mention, Trump continued to push this AFTER the long birth certificate was produced.

[Perseus]

16. Then, Trump sent his extra special experts to Hawaii -- that no one ever heard anything from.

That is because he never sent anyone, the guy is such a liar...it is amazing that he has any followers...

[Phentex]

2. Trying to make amends AND trying to keep people from Melania...

and snooping/commenting about HER background. What an idiot!

[DURHAM D]

3. Time to Occupy the NY Times. nt

[lark]

4. Epic fail in progress.

He's a damn racist and misogynist. Blacks, browns, Muslims and women know this and will not vote for him. OK, there are some people in all those groups who are unintelligent and think he will actually help them and will vote for him. They are also the first he will hurt when he offshores even more jobs and passes laws to let them be paid "like the Chinese". We have to save them from themselves, because they want to take us down the tubes too.

[TomCADem]

5. Really? I Bet This Will Be Spun As A Positive Story. Trump's Pivot

This ought to just be an acknowledgement that Trump's candidacy was driven by racism and crackpot conspiracy theories. What is next? Trump acknowledges that the earth is not flat, then gets lauded for his appreciation of science.

Talk about a low bar.

[BSdetect]

6. Trumps the sellout already

Why do some think he can bring any job back? He's already sold out to foreign countries so he can make money. He's a business man, as he keeps saying.

He's no different than any US corporation. Except he actually knows nothing about running a country economically. He's a failed, rich prat who lost businesses, went bankrupt, ripped people off, cheated people, scammed anyone and could have make much more by investing his inherited wealth in the stock market.

Loser, liar.

[DawgHouse]

7. He said Hillary started it.

What an asswipe.

[christx30]

13. And in two weeks he'll look you dead in the eye

and deny that he ever said that, despite screen shots of the tweets saying that she did. And in January he'll look you in the eye again and deny ever running for president, while Hillary is being sworn in.
I'll say one thing for him: The guy is good at lying. I don't know if it's just his personality, or if he honestly believes what he's saying.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Conspiracy theories

are for paranoid, illogical, sadistic narcissists

He's been seeing things that are simply not there

Definition of delusion

He's NUTS!

[catbyte]

9. Well, now, that makes everything all right. "Nothing to see here, folks, especially any Negroes, er

Blacks, I may have offended in my relentless search for The Truth about what's REALLY going on with Obama. For some reason, and I can't quite put my tiny finger on it, he just doesn't seem American enough to me...besides, it's all Hillary's fault. She started it."

I'm Native American and I heard that despicable dog whistle loud and clear. I'm sure that this will make African Americans flock to his campaign in droves--I predict that his numberes will soar to .0003% after his hard-hitting mea culpa.

What a vile, vulgar, lying maggot. Apologies to maggots.

[William Seger]

11. Now, someone needs to ask him if he still believes...

... Obama is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and part of the conspiracy to bring Sharia Law to the U.S.

[LenaBaby61]

12. This is no admittance of anything.

That assclown STILL thinks Pres. Obama is a non-US citizen. PERIOD.

I stand by my assertion that during the 1st debate, he'll try to resuscitate his racist birther claim in front of the world on the debate state and try to tar and feather Hillary with his absurd claim that she started the birther shit. I HOPE Hillary's ready when he does that and gives it BACK to him in front of the world to see with both barrels!!!

[Andy823]

14. For now

But the odds are as soon as he is talking in front of his brain dead base, the tea party nuts, KKK, Nazi's and of course the birthers, it will be pretty easy for him to change his mind again, and again, and again…! He flips flop daily, and somedays hourly.

[Third Doctor]

15. I'm sure his bigoted base isn't happy about this.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

17. Now watch the media try to claim he's more electable.