Although Hillary Clinton still clings to her lead among Democratic primary candidates, the former Secretary of State does so while weathering fierce criticism of her past record. On Wednesday morning, CNN anchor Don Lemon confronted Hillary about one of the most discussed attacks on her this week: the accusation that Clinton herself was responsible for the Obama birther movement.
After a week of reopened debate on the topic, Don asked Hillary about the allegations while interviewing her on The Tom Joyner Morning Show . Lemon also wondered if there had been some kind of closed-door discussion between Clinton and Obama campaigns at the time.
“People have been saying… that you were the person behind the birther, the whole birther thing, that the Senator at the time, the President-elect actually confronted you about that. Do you care to respond? Did you or your campaign start the whole birther thing? And did you have a confrontation with the President?”
Hillary responded to Don with a baffled air that indicated more annoyance about the charges. Clinton told Lemon that she has deeper issues preoccupying her when it comes to the presidential elections.
“That is so — no. That’s so ludicrous, Don. You know, honestly, I just believe— first of all, it’s totally untrue. I have been blamed for nearly everything. That was a new one to me. I will just keep going and talking about what I want to do to get incomes rising and making college affordable and making all the positive changes that we have to be worried about.”
Lemon brought up the complaints that Hillary spread Obama birther rumors because of a resurgence in their popularity last week. When a Donald Trump crowd supporter remarked that “our president is one of them” Muslims,” Clinton was one of many who censured Donald for not actively denying the crowd member’s statement. In response, Trump encouraged voters to “take a look at what Hillary said in 2008.” Furthermore, MSNBC’s Morning Joe accused Clinton of starting the Obama Muslim rumors herself.
Whether or not Hillary was originally responsible for fomenting the birther movement, Don himself responded to the question when he discussed the controversy on his show last week. Lemon asked his guests why, in a country of religious freedom, does it even matter if Obama is a Muslim?
“What if the president was a Muslim? I mean, what does it matter? Aren’t Muslims Americans as well? Don’t we have the right to religion in this country?”
Do you think Don Lemon got an honest answer out of Hillary Clinton on the Obama birther origin story?
[Image via Darren McCollester and Michael Kovac/Getty Images]
