By Urban Media News Staff
Since the election of America’s first African-American president, Barack Obama, fringe figures across the
United States have sought to undermine his legitimacy. From describing his sense of “otherness” to
questioning whether or not he was born in the United States, every so-called “birther” argument has
reeked of race based disparagement.
As his historic presidency winds down and the battle for his successor wages, President Obama’s
birthplace is in the news yet again due to the biggest “birther” of them all – Republican nominee for
president Donald Trump. For at least the last six years, Mr. Trump has loudly and frequently sought to
undermine President Obama’s legitimacy, falsely claiming that he was not born in the United States and
therefore was ineligible to serve as Commander-in- Chief.
Even after President Obama released his long form birth certificate, proving unequivocally that he was
born in Hawaii, Mr. Trump has continued to lie about the President’s birthplace. Mr. Trump falsely
claimed the birth certificate was a forgery, and even encouraged hackers to break the law in a desperate
effort to try to prove his false claims.
Recently, Mr. Trump tried to erase his sordid history leading the “birther” movement by finally stating
that, “President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Period.” The mere fact that a major party
nominee for president had to utter those words in the final 60 days before an election is astonishing –
unless you consider Mr. Trump’s long history of seeking to undermine President Obama’s legitimacy.
Rather than acknowledge the error of his ways and admit to lying about the President’s eligibility to
serve, Mr. Trump used the occasion of his announcement that President Obama was born in Hawaii to
tell an even bigger lie. Mr. Trump now falsely claims that his opponent, Hillary Clinton, “started” the
birther movement.
Every major news outlet in America has debunked this latest falsehood from Mr. Trump. Hillary Clinton
and her campaign did not start, and did not peddle the false conspiracy clung to so desperately by right
wing opponents which posited for years that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. Desperate candidates
for public office sometimes say desperate things. But there is no excusing Mr. Trump’s attempt to
obscure his own history of lying about the nation’s first President of color by accusing anyone else of
birtherism.
What does President Obama think of Trump’s latest antics? According to Politico, in an appearance
before the Congressional Black Caucus Mr. Obama declared that he would consider it “a personal insult,
an insult to my legacy” if minority turnout falters for Hillary Clinton.
With the election officially underway – early voting in Wisconsin began in some communities September
19 th – communities of color have must now decide whether or not to send a message at the ballot box to
those like Donald Trump who have sought to undermine the legitimacy of our first non-white President.
Early voting begins in Madison and Milwaukee on Monday, September 26 th at a variety of polling
locations. To learn where to vote, how to register, and what to bring with you to your polling place, visit
www.myvote.wi.gov
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