Throwing Down

Clinton Slams Trump for ‘Bigotry’ on Birther Issue

Trump’s silence on birther issue “the best he can do.”

Hillary Clinton called out Donald Trump on Thursday for “ugliness” over the ongoing birther issue, which Trump had refused to address just hours earlier. “When will he stop this ugliness, this bigotry?” Clinton said at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute awards gala in D.C. “He’s tried to reset himself and his campaign many times. This is the best he can do. This is who he is so we need to decide who we are,” Clinton said. “We need to stand up and repudiate divisive rhetoric. We need to stop him conclusively in November in an election that sends a message that even he can hear.” The Democratic presidential nominee’s comments came in response to Trump’s refusal to comment on the birther issue in an interview with The Washington Post on Thursday. In that interview, Trump declined to give a yes or no answer on whether he believes President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii. Later, his campaign spokesman released a statement answering the question that Trump himself has repeatedly dodged throughout his campaign, saying Trump now believes Obama was born in Hawaii, despite publicly embracing conspiracy theories about Obama’s birthplace in 2011. Clinton’s campaign said it was not enough for Trump’s spokesman to address the issue on his behalf. Campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said, “Trump needs to say it himself.”