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Trump Finally Acknowledges Obama Born In U.S.

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WASHINGTON (CBSMiami/AP) — Donald Trump has finally acknowledged the fact that President Barack Obama was born in the United States.

Trump said Friday that "that President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period."

As he did so, the Republican nominee repeated the conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign for president started the so-called the "birther controversy."

There is no evidence that is true, and Clinton and her allies have strongly denied that suggestion.

Trump says of the "birther" movement: "I finished it. You know what I mean."

The Republican nominee has for years been the most prominent "birther," the name given to those who propagated the falsehood that Obama was born outside of the country.

Obama, meanwhile, says he thinks most people know he was born in the United States and hopes the election to replace him focuses on "more serious issues."

He responded briefly Friday morning to a reporter's question about it, saying he's "pretty confident about where I was born, I think most people were, as well."

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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