During one of the most memorable moments of Monday night's first presidential debate, moderator Lester Holt gave Donald Trump the opportunity to apologize for perpetuating the conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Trump — never one for apologies — sidestepped by claiming he managed to get President Obama to publish his birth certificate. When pressed by Holt further, Trump finally said he had "nothing" to say to Americans of color who might be offended by his promotion of birtherism.
Trump apparently wasn't backing down on one of his other favorite conspiracies, either. Having repeatedly suggested his Republican primary opponent Ted Cruz's father played a part in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Trump's campaign after the debate refused to clarify the matter to The Weekly Standard. "A lot of things have been said out on the campaign trail. Mr. Trump hasn't been shy that he's a very strong competitor out on the campaign trail," Trump's senior communications adviser Jason Miller said. "The fact that Sen. Cruz came out and endorsed Mr. Trump I think really says a lot. I think it talks about how the party's coming together, how it's united."
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