WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says Republicans who are sowing doubts about whether he is American-born may gain politically in the short term by playing to their constituencies but will have trouble when the general election rolls around.
Obama says that's because most people are confident that he was born where he says he was — in Hawaii — and are more worried about gasoline prices and unemployment than conspiracy theories or birth certificates.
The president spoke Thursday in an interview with ABC News.
State officials long have certified that Obama was born in Hawaii. But Donald Trump, the real estate tycoon and possible GOP presidential candidate, has revived questions about Obama's place of birth.
Obama says Republican efforts to go after him in a politically expedient way create problems for them.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.