Obama Jokes About His Birth Certificate In Kenya

Obama Jokes About His Birth Certificate In Kenya

Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

by Charlie Spiering26 Jul 20151,729

During a State Dinner in Kenya, President Obama took time to mention his birth certificate, joking that he was not in that country to track it down.

“I suspect that some of my critics back home are suggesting that I’m back here to look for my birth certificate,” Obama said as the dinner party laughed and applauded.
“That is not the case,” he added.
The president frequently takes the opportunity to joke about his birth certificate during special occasions, mocking his opponents for suggesting that that he wasn’t born in America.
During his White House Correspondents Dinner speech in April, Obama used comedian Keegan-Michael Key to serve as his “anger translator” to translate what his words really meant in an otherwise bland speech.
“I have a birth certificate. I have a birth certificate. I have a hot diggity, daggity, mamase mamasa mamakusa birth certificate, you dumb-ass crackers!” Key shouted, as part of Obama’s comedy routine.
Obama also joked about it in regard to Jeb Bush identifying as a Hispanic American on a voter form.
“Turns out Jeb Bush identified himself as Hispanic back in 2009,” Obama said. “But you know what, I understand, it’s an innocent mistake. It reminds me of when I identified myself as American back in 1961.”
During a March appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, Obama revealed that he couldn’t drive anywhere as president.
“Is that because you don’t have a birth certificate?” asked Kimmel.
“In Kenya we drive on the other side of the road,” Obama joked.
In 2014, Obama mocked Republicans who were “pretty sure I’m an illegal immigrant” during a defense of his executive actions on the immigration system.
After receiving a Certificate of Irish Heritage from the Prime Minister of Ireland, Obama joked during a St. Patrick’s Day reception in 2012 that the certificate, would have “a special place of honor, alongside my birth certificate.”
While campaigning in 2012, Obama joked with a kid after he was told he was born in Hawaii.
“You were born in Hawaii?” Obama asked the boy. “You have a birth certificate?”
In October 2012, Obama spoke to supporters in New Hampshire reminding them that as Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney raised fees for people getting birth certificates.
“He raised fees to get a birth certificate — which would have been expensive for me,” he joked, as the crowd laughed.
In 2011, Obama mocked Donald Trump’s obsession with his birth certificate during his White House Correspondent’s Dinner speech, celebrating the release of the “long-form” document in response to the controversy.
“As some of you heard the state of Hawaii released my official long-form birth certificate,” he said. “Hopefully, this puts all doubts to rest.”
He then jokingly released his “birth video” playing a scene from the Lion King.
“Now, I know that he’s taken some flak lately but no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than The Donald,” Obama continued. “And that’s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like, did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?”
In 2010, Obama explained during a prayer breakfast that it was important for Americans of both parties to “disagree without being disagreeable.”
“[S]urely you can question my policies without questioning my faith, or, for that matter, my citizenship,” he said lightly as the crowd laughed.