changed the Presidential Challenge Coin to feature himself?

Introduced in the 90s, Presidential challenge coins are handed out by the President as personal mementos, often to service members.

Trump implemented the biggest changes to the Presidential coin since its inception.

The Trump Presidential coin replaced the national motto “E Pluribus Unum” with his campaign motto, “Make America Great Again.” The coin was changed to gold instead of previously used copper or silver. It featured Trump’s name three times, including a novel emblazoning across the front.

Clockwise from left, the coins for Vice President Mike Pence, Vice President Joe Biden, President Barack Obama and President Trump.
Obama administration coins (top and right) compared to Trump administration coins (left and bottom). Bill O’Leary / The Washington Post, via Getty Images

Trevor Potter, former Republican former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, said of that the change, “For the commander in chief to give a political token with a campaign slogan on it to military officers would violate the important principle of separating the military from politics, as well as diminishing the tradition of the coin.”

The New York Times – Trump Gives Presidential Challenge Coin a Makeover, and It Shows
The Washington Post – ‘It’s very gold’: The Presidential coin undergoes a Trumpian makeover
The Hill – Trump presidential challenge coin says ‘Make America Great Again’ instead of national motto
Stars and Stripes – Presidential ‘challenge coin’ undergoes a Trumpian makeover

perpetuated the birther conspiracy theory?

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.

Barack Obama's long form birth certificate
Obama’s long-form birth certificate

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

was roasted by Barack Obama and Seth Meyers at the 2011 Correspondents’ Dinner?

At the dinner, Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers took aim at Trump, who sat in the audience.

Obama commented on the birther conspiracy that held he was foreign-born, which Trump had long perpetuated:

“Now I know that he has taken some flak lately, but no one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter at rest than the Donald. And that’s because he could finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like ‘Did we fake the moon landing? What really happened at Roswell?’ and ‘where are Biggie and Tupac?’

 

All kidding aside, obviously we all know about your credentials and breadth of experience. For example, seriously, just recently in an episode of Celebrity Apprentice, at the steakhouse, the men’s cooking team did not impress the judges from Omaha steaks. And there was a lot of blame to go around, but you, Mr. Trump, recognized that the real problem was a lack of leadership. And so ultimately you didn’t blame Little John or Meatloaf. You fired Gary Busey. And these are the kind of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well handled, sir. Well handled.”

Meyers laid into Trump with more cutting jokes. The dinner raised questions about whether it led to Trump’s Presidential ambitions, but Trump had voiced interest in running long before. When directly asked about the dinner, he remarked that while Meyers was “too nasty, out of order,” he went on to say that “there are many reasons I’m running, but that’s not one of them.”

Trump had been the centerpiece of a Comedy Central Roast just two months prior, which he concluded with a remark about his Presidential ambitions.

The Washington Post – I sat next to Donald Trump at the infamous 2011 White House correspondents dinner
Chicago Tribune – Did the 2011 White House correspondents’ dinner spur Trump to run for president?

claimed he sent investigators to Hawaii to prove Obama wasn’t born in the United States?

Trump long perpetuated the birther conspiracy against Barack Obama, which held that the former President was not born in the United States. In 2011, Trump claimed that he had dispatched investigators during an interview with NBC’s Today Show.

Trump explained, “I have people that actually have been studying it and they cannot believe what they’re finding.” There has yet to be any word on what his investigators found.

President Obama poked fun at Trump’s claims when he attended the 2011 Correspondent’s Dinner after releasing his long-form birth certificate.

In 2020, Trump’s then-former personal attorney Michael Cohen said Trump lied about dispatching investigators.

The Atlantic – What Donald Trump’s Birther Investigators Will Find in Hawaii
The Week – Michael Cohen says Trump lied about sending investigators to Hawaii to look into Obama’s birth certificate

More assuredly to come soon

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