By Urban Media News Staff
Presidential Candidate Donald Trump. Credit: Flickr
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 19th – 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 26th 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