2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumTrump’s ‘birther’ crusade was a scam wrapped in a con
By Steve Benen
Donald Trump, the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee, has developed a national persona based on some unfortunate pillars: racism and conspiracy theories. Indeed, while we dont hear much about the subject anymore, the GOP candidates rise to political notoriety came from Trumps temporary obsession with President Obamas birthplace.
The New York Times reported over the weekend on Trumps fleeting anti-Obama crusade in 2011, when the Republican met with prominent figures in the birther movement and did a series of interviews in which Trump questioned the presidents country of birth.
As the Times report helped document, the GOP reality-show-personality-turned-conspiracy-theorist-turned-presidential-hopeful wasnt exactly subtle. Why doesnt he show his birth certificate? he asked on ABCs The View. I want to see his birth certificate, he told Fox News On the Record. And on NBCs Today Show, he declared, Im starting to think that [the president] was not born here.
The ridiculous campaign helped Trump cultivate ties to racist activists on the right-wing fringe, which years later, helped boost his GOP presidential candidacy. The New York Republican has since dropped the issue there are apparently other racially charged fights to pick and conspiracy theories to promote but the Times latest article added a detail I dont remember seeing reported elsewhere.
more
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-birther-crusade-was-scam-wrapped-con?cid=eml_mra_20160705
PJMcK
(22,037 posts)From the end of the column:
I can appreciate why this seems like old news even he doesnt push this particular nonsense anymore but the revelation from the weekend nevertheless sheds new light on the 2016 candidate. Trumps willingness to peddle a racist conspiracy theory told us something important about his character, but his willingness to lie to his own supporters about his efforts adds insult to injury.
When Republicans question Secretary Clinton's chapter or judgment, this could be potent ammunition. Thanks for posting the link, DonViejo.