In an interview with Toledo ABC affiliate WSYX on Wednesday, Donald Trump explained why he announced last Friday that he believes President Obama was indeed born in the U.S. As it turns out, Trump's disavowal of the birther theory wasn't inspired so much by a change of heart as it was by Trump getting annoyed with all those pesky questions about his own beliefs about where Obama was born. In other words, he wanted to shut everyone up.
"Well, I just wanted to get on with, you know, we want to get on with the campaign," Trump said. He explained that "a lot of people were asking" about his longstanding doubts over whether Obama was born in the U.S. and he really just wanted to talk about veterans, jobs, the military, and "ISIS and how to get rid of ISIS."
Hillary Clinton was quick to slam Trump's answer:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Since the Republican presidential nominee delivered his 36-second speech last Friday, he has largely refused to take any more questions on the topic.
-
‘Every teacher is a literacy teacher’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Pull over for these one-of-a-kind gas stationsThe Week Recommends Fill ’er up next to highland cows and a giant soda bottle
-
Trump tariff uncertainty casts a dark cloud over Black FridayIN THE SPOTLIGHT Retailers and shoppers alike are starting to reassess their seasonal prospects as the Trump administration’s efforts to upturn the global economy start hitting close to home
-
Judge halts Trump’s DC Guard deploymentSpeed Read The Trump administration has ‘infringed upon the District’s right to govern itself,’ the judge ruled
-
Trump accuses Democrats of sedition meriting ‘death’Speed Read The president called for Democratic lawmakers to be arrested for urging the military to refuse illegal orders
-
Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read The Texas congressional map ordered by Trump is likely an illegal racial gerrymander, the court ruled
-
Trump defends Saudi prince, shrugs off Khashoggi murderSpeed Read The president rebuked an ABC News reporter for asking Mohammed bin Salman about the death of a Washington Post journalist at the Saudi Consulate in 2018
-
Congress passes bill to force release of Epstein filesSpeed Read The Justice Department will release all files from its Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation
-
Trump says he will sell F-35 jets to Saudi ArabiaSpeed Read The president plans to make several deals with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week
-
Judge blasts ‘profound’ errors in Comey caseSpeed Read ‘Government misconduct’ may necessitate dismissing the charges against the former FBI director altogether
-
Ecuador rejects push to allow US military basesSpeed Read Voters rejected a repeal of a constitutional ban on US and other foreign military bases in the country
