Trump accepts Obama was born in US

Republican nominee does not apologise and repeats false allegations against his Democratic rival

Republican candidate has been the most prominent proponent of the ‘birther’ movement, which claimed Obama was born outside the US and thus ineligible to be president |

After years of fuelling conspiracy theories, Republican White House nominee Donald Trump admitted that President Barack Obama is an American citizen in a much-hyped and nationally televised event yesterday.

“President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period,” Trump said, as his campaign tried to silence damaging charges of racism.

Trump pointedly did not apologise, and repeated false allegations that Hillary Clinton started the so-called “birther” movement questioning Obama’s nationality — and therefore legitimacy as president.

“Her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it. I finished it. You know what I mean,” Trump said.

Since at least 2011, the celebrity businessman has questioned Obama’s US citizenship, which is a legal prerequisite for becoming president.

The unfounded claims were a launch pad for Trump’s political career, propelling him onto the national stage and winning him fans on the far right.

But in a tight election race, Trump’s position has become a liability, repulsing black, Hispanic and moderate voters who he needs to win the Oval Office.

Statement

After Trump on Thursday again demurred on Obama’s nationality, his campaign was forced to issue a statement.

“Mr Trump believes that President Obama was born in the United States,” his campaign said.

Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton jumped on that as more evidence Trump is unfit to be president.

“For five years, he has led the birther movement to delegitimize our first black president,” she said.

“His campaign was founded on this outrageous lie. There is no erasing it in history.

“He’s feeding into the worst impulses, the bigotry and bias that lurks in our country,” she added. “Barack Obama was born in America, plain and simple. And Donald Trump owes him and the American people an apology.”

Trump’s brief remarks on the subject came at the end of a lengthy campaign event that plugged his new hotel in the capital Washington, and his support from veterans, but scarcely touched on the “birther” issue.

The White House has long viewed Trump’s claims as racist, aimed at delegitimizing the president.