Trump long perpetuated the debunked conspiracy, which held that Obama was born in Kenya and ineligible to be President, despite a lack of any evidence. He claimed that he had sent investigators to Hawaii who “cannot believe what they’re finding,” though nothing ever came of it.

In 2011, President Obama released his long-form birth certificate and made fun of Trump’s claims when he attended the 2011 Correspondent’s Dinner.

Even after Trump announced his candidacy in 2016, he defended his role in spreading the conspiracy theory against Obama, saying it “resonated with a lot of people,” and that he “doesn’t know, nobody knows” if the long-form birth certificate released was real.

When Trump finally acknowledged that Obama was born in the United States during his 2016 Presidential campaign, he blamed the conspiracy on opponent Hillary Clinton.

The New York Times – Donald Trump Clung to ‘Birther’ Lie for Years, and Still Isn’t Apologetic
ABC News – The Last Time Donald Trump Talked About ‘Birtherism’
BBC News – Donald Trump admits President Obama was born in US