Updated 1:25 p.m. ET -- Donald Trump said Friday he believes President Barack Obama was born in the United States.
Previous story: Donald Trump's campaign said Thursday evening the candidate believes President Obama was born in the United States, something Trump has long claimed was untrue.
He told an interviewer on Friday that he would address the issue today at an event in Washington D.C.
Here is what other media outlets were saying about Trump and his possible reversal on the “birther” issue.
Not saying it out loud
“Donald Trump's campaign says the billionaire now believes President Barack Obama was born in the United States -- but the Republican nominee still can't bring himself to say it out loud and in public. Instead, the Republican nominee turned to an adviser late Thursday to release a statement attempting to finally lay to rest the birtherism crusade that effectively launched Trump's rabble-rousing political career five years ago. "Having successfully obtained President Obama's birth certificate when others could not, Mr. Trump believes that President Obama was born in the United States," said Jason Miller, Trump's senior communications adviser.”
Trump ‘brought closure’ to the issue
"Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton traded barbs Thursday over the Republican nominee's past suggestions that President Obama was born outside the U.S. and thus ineligible to be president, after Trump initially declined in an interview a day earlier to definitively say the president was born in America. Trump's campaign spokesman, trying to calm the waters, said overnight that the Republican candidate now believes Obama was born in the U.S. -- though Trump has been urged by Democrats to say so himself. Campaign spokesman Jason Miller said Trump "did a great service to the country" by bringing closure to the debate."
Announcement comes as he courts minority voters
“Donald J. Trump has refused again to acknowledge that President Obama was born in the United States, reviving the so-called birther issue that the Republican presidential nominee has played down since announcing his campaign last year. The resurfacing of Mr. Trump’s doubts about Mr. Obama’s birthplace — in an interview with The Washington Post that was published on Thursday — comes less than two months before the general election and as he has been working more aggressively to court minority voters. Late Thursday, in an effort at damage control, a Trump spokesman issued a statement saying that “Mr. Trump believes that President Obama was born in the United States.” "
Announcement set for today
“Donald Trump says he will be speaking Friday morning about whether he believes President Obama was born in the United States. Trump told “Mornings with Maria” that he will address the controversy during a campaign event in Washington. “Well, I’m gonna make a big announcement on it today probably during my first speech at my new hotel,” Trump said. Host Maria Bartiromo asked, “The bottom line is this, we know that Obama now, he was born in the United States, right?”“You watch my statement,” Trump responded. “We have to — we have to keep the suspense going, okay?” "
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