Donald Trump pleased (but not satisfied) after Obama releases birth certificate

This ‘birther’ issue first appeared during the 2008 presidential campaign. In response, the Obama’s campaign team released his certification of live birth. 

However, in 2011, Trump and others insist that a certification of live birth is not the same thing as a certificate of live birth.  

He is correct in that they’re not the same thing; the certificate contains more information and is the original document. (Critics of Trump, however, point out that the certification meets the legal requirement for proof of birth in the state of Hawaii.)

To compare the certificate and certification side by side, click here.

On the release of the long-form certificate, the White House said the following:

“The President believed the distraction over his birth certificate wasn’t good for the country. It may have been good politics and good TV, but it was bad for the American people and distracting from the many challenges we face as a country. Therefore, the President directed his counsel to” request the document from the Hawaii State Department of Health.

Trump, on his part, is pleased (with himself) but not satisfied. He said the following to reporters in New Hampshire:

- Today, I'm very proud of myself because I have accomplished something nobody else has accomplished.

- I'm really honored, frankly, in playing such a big role, and hopefully getting rid of this issue. 

- [Obama] should have done it a long time ago.  Why he didn’t do it when the Clintons asked for it, why he didn’t do it when everybody else was asking for it, I don’t know.

- I want to look at it, but I hope it’s true, so we can get on to much more important matters, so the press can stop asking me questions [about it].

- We have to look at it.  Is it real? Is it proper? What’s on it? I hope it checks out beautifully.