WATCH: Donald Trump, Still A Birther After All These Years

Donald Trump — who has been using presidential politics as a stage for his PR stunts for decades — is getting an early jump on 2016, exploiting the fact that at least some in the Republican Party still take his potential candidacy seriously.

The self-proclaimed billionaire made his first political trip to Iowa to speak at the Family Leader event from the same podium as 2012 Iowa Caucus winner Rick Santorum, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Cruz’s father Rafael, who declared that “homosexual marriage” is a socialist plot.

On the same visit, ABC’s Jonathan Karl gave Trump the chance to back away from the birther claims the “Donald” built much of his 2012 buzz upon.

Trump refused to do so.

“Was there a birth certificate?” he asked. “You tell me. Some people say that was not his birth certificate. I’m saying I don’t know. Nobody knows. And you don’t know, either, Jonathan. You’re a smart guy, you don’t know, either.”

Trump also proved that his birtherism is bipartisan by questioning the eligibility of Senator Ted Cruz to run for president.

“If he was born in Canada, then perhaps not,” Trump said. “That will be ironed out. I don’t know the circumstances. If he says he was born in Canada, that’s his thing.”

It’s almost as if Trump is willing to question the citizenship of any non-white candidate.

Cruz’s mother was a citizen, as was Obama’s, which means both were natural born citizens, making any sort of doubts about either’s eligibility ridiculous.

But Republicans should be on notice that Trump is willing to play the birther card, with all its fraught racial implications, even against their own candidates.

Trump Birth Certificate

Start your day with National Memo Newsletter

Know first.

The opinions that matter. Delivered to your inbox every morning

On Trial For Campaign Crimes, Trump Is Drenched In Tabloid Sewage

National Enquirer covers smearing Hillary Clinton in 2016

Back in the antediluvian era of American politics, perpetrating dirty tricks was considered proof of bad character and potentially disqualifying for public office, depending on circumstances.

Keep reading...Show less
Oklahoma Official Wants Chaplains In Schools -- But Only 'Christian' Nationalists

Ryan Walters

Book-Banning 'Moms For Liberty' Remind Me Of 'Harper Valley PTA' (And '1984')

Visitors to Oklahoma’s State Schools Superintendent’s personal social media page will notice a post vowing to “ban Critical Race Theory, protect women’s sports, and fight for school choice,” a post linking to a Politico profile of him that reads, “Meet the state GOP official at the forefront of injecting religion into public schools,” a photo of him closely embracing a co-founder of the anti-government extremist group Moms for Liberty, and a video in which he declares, “Oklahoma is MAGA country.”

Keep reading...Show less
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}