Under Fire Trump Says Obama Is American
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – After years of fueling conspiracy theories, Republican White House nominee Donald Trump admitted Friday that US President Barack Obama is an American as he tried to neutralize damaging charges of racism.
But he also stepped up attacks against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, accusing her of initiating the doubts about Obama and later raising the specter of violence against her again.
In a much-hyped televised event, Trump gave a lengthy plug for his new Washington hotel before acknowledging that "President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period."
The mogul-turned-politico pointedly did not apologize, nor did he walk back similar claims that Obama -- whose father was a Kenyan -- founded the violent Daesh group.
Instead, he tried to pin blame for "birtherism" on his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, whom he accused, without evidence, of starting the movement that questions Obama's nationality and right to be president.
"Her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it. I finished it. You know what I mean," Trump said, AFP reported.
The celebrity TV star has questioned Obama's US citizenship -- a legal prerequisite for becoming president -- since at least 2011.
The White House has long viewed Trump's claims as a racist attempt to delegitimize the president.
The charges also served to launch Trump's political career, propelling him onto the national stage and winning him fans on the far right.
But five years on, now in a tight presidential election race, Trump's position has become a liability, repulsing black, Hispanic and moderate voters whose support he needs to win the Oval Office.
The controversy reignited Thursday when Trump again demurred on Obama's citizenship, forcing his campaign into damage control.
Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton jumped on the statement as more evidence that 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.
Trump went on the attack again later in the day at a Miami rally, where he entered as the epic theme from the musical "Les Miserables" rang out, a reference to Clinton's recent remarks in which she called "half" of Trump backers "deplorable."
At the Florida event the bombastic billionaire suggested Clinton's Secret Service guards voluntarily disarm and "see what happens to her."