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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/sep/16/donald-trump-barack-obama-birther-movement-election-live
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| Michelle Obama: 'being president isn’t anything like reality TV' – live | Michelle Obama: 'being president isn’t anything like reality TV' – live |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| 11.01pm BST | |
| 23:01 | |
| Richard Luscombe | |
| Standard fare as Republican speakers warm up the crowd ahead of Donald Trump’s scheduled 6pm appearance. “It’s a honor to be with so many deplorables,” says Blaise Ingoglio, chair of Florida’s RNC. Inevitable chants of USA! USA! follow. | |
| He returns to address the crowd in Spanish, and the audience is notably quieter. Even a mention of Marco Rubio, the Florida senator and former Trump opponent in the primary race who is hugely popular around these parts, raised barely a ripple. | |
| But other speakers, conservative commentator AJ Delgado, a senior Trump campaign adviser born to Cuban-immigrant parents, and Carlos Curbelo, a Republican congressman from South Miami who has until now been lukewarm on his support for Trump, got the crowd fired up again, with the now-familiar “Hillary lied” narrative. | |
| Cue shouts of “lock her up, lock her up!”Trump is in the house and on stage imminently, and the auditorium is now full. | |
| 11.00pm BST | |
| 23:00 | |
| Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Miami, Florida | |
| Watch it live here: | |
| 10.42pm BST | |
| 22:42 | |
| Richard Luscombe | |
| Few of the Trump supporters The Guardian spoke to on their way in to tonight’s rally in downtown Miami had much time for today’s developments in the “birther” controversy. | |
| “It’s a distraction to what we should be talking about,” said Michael Rodriguez, 34, a Cuban-American restaurant worker who lives in Little Havana. “This election is about jobs, the economy, immigration and America being strong again.” | |
| Janusz Biskupek, 50, of Boca Raton, cut a striking figure in a pristine white suit emblazoned with pro-Trump slogans. “Trump is a smart guy. I want my president to be respected,” he said. “Obama? He went to Cuba and nobody waited on him. We need a stronger president. We need Donald Trump.” | |
| The arena at the James L Knight centre, however, was filling up slowly, with plenty of room still in the bleachers with Trump scheduled on stage in less than half an hour. Perhaps the rival attraction of a Friday night Kanye West concert a stone’s thrown away was more of a draw. | |
| 9.36pm BST | 9.36pm BST |
| 21:36 | 21:36 |
| Lauren Gambino | Lauren Gambino |
| The choice for president is “excruciatingly clear”, First Lady Michelle Obama said during her campaign trail debut, urging the college audience to support Hillary Clinton this November. | The choice for president is “excruciatingly clear”, First Lady Michelle Obama said during her campaign trail debut, urging the college audience to support Hillary Clinton this November. |
| Obama cast the election as a choice between “one of the most qualified people who has ever endeavored to become president” and someone who doesn’t “take the job seriously”. Ticking off a list of accomplishments of her husband’s administration, Obama argued that with the past eight years as a guide, Trump is neither prepared nor qualified to be president. | Obama cast the election as a choice between “one of the most qualified people who has ever endeavored to become president” and someone who doesn’t “take the job seriously”. Ticking off a list of accomplishments of her husband’s administration, Obama argued that with the past eight years as a guide, Trump is neither prepared nor qualified to be president. |
| “A candidate is not going to suddenly change when they get into office – it’s the opposite,” Obama told the crowd of mostly students and young people at George Mason University in Virginia. “In fact, because the minute that individual takes that oath, they are under the hottest, harshest light there is.” | “A candidate is not going to suddenly change when they get into office – it’s the opposite,” Obama told the crowd of mostly students and young people at George Mason University in Virginia. “In fact, because the minute that individual takes that oath, they are under the hottest, harshest light there is.” |
| She referenced her moving speech at the Democratic National Convention, “when they go low, we go high,” going after the Republican nominee without mentioning his name. | She referenced her moving speech at the Democratic National Convention, “when they go low, we go high,” going after the Republican nominee without mentioning his name. |
| “Being president isn’t anything like reality TV,” she said, drawing loud cheers and applause. | “Being president isn’t anything like reality TV,” she said, drawing loud cheers and applause. |
| Obama recalled the 2008 campaign, reminding the audience that raising questions about a president’s experience, qualifications and judgments is all part of a very public vetting process to be president. | Obama recalled the 2008 campaign, reminding the audience that raising questions about a president’s experience, qualifications and judgments is all part of a very public vetting process to be president. |
| “And then there were those who questioned and continued to question for the past eight years and to this day whether my husband was even born in this country,” she said, alluding to the Republican nominee without mentioning him by name. | “And then there were those who questioned and continued to question for the past eight years and to this day whether my husband was even born in this country,” she said, alluding to the Republican nominee without mentioning him by name. |
| Trump helped fan the flames of birtherism, a conspiracy theory that President Obama was not born in the US but in Kenya, and used the issue to help propel his political ambitions. | Trump helped fan the flames of birtherism, a conspiracy theory that President Obama was not born in the US but in Kenya, and used the issue to help propel his political ambitions. |
| Facing dismal approval ratings among minority voters, Trump admitted on Friday morning for the first time that Barack Obama was born in the US. | Facing dismal approval ratings among minority voters, Trump admitted on Friday morning for the first time that Barack Obama was born in the US. |
| Obama is a powerful and popular ally for Clinton, especially among young voters. New polling shows that millennials, disappointed by their options for president have turned toward third-party candidates. | Obama is a powerful and popular ally for Clinton, especially among young voters. New polling shows that millennials, disappointed by their options for president have turned toward third-party candidates. |
| The First Lady’s appearance on a college campus in the battleground state of Virginia, the First Lady’s event is part of a broader push by the Clinton campaign to win back some of the millennial voters who have strayed in recent weeks. Next week, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, the Democratic challenger whose campaign was powered by young people and students, will campaign for Clinton in the coming days. | The First Lady’s appearance on a college campus in the battleground state of Virginia, the First Lady’s event is part of a broader push by the Clinton campaign to win back some of the millennial voters who have strayed in recent weeks. Next week, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, the Democratic challenger whose campaign was powered by young people and students, will campaign for Clinton in the coming days. |
| “Elections aren’t just about who votes but who doesn’t vote,” she said, imploring the young people in the crowd to support Clinton. She encouraged them to fight the urge to want to “hide under the bed” and avoid the election altogether. She also addressed a complaint many young people who felt inspired by Sander’s underdog campaign have leveled at Clinton. | “Elections aren’t just about who votes but who doesn’t vote,” she said, imploring the young people in the crowd to support Clinton. She encouraged them to fight the urge to want to “hide under the bed” and avoid the election altogether. She also addressed a complaint many young people who felt inspired by Sander’s underdog campaign have leveled at Clinton. |
| “I hear folks saying they don’t feel inspired in this election,” Obama said. “Well let me tell you, I disagree. I am inspired. Because for eight years, I’ve had the privilege to see what it takes to actually do this job, and here is what I absolutely know for sure. Listen to this: Right now we have an opportunity to elect one of the most qualified people who has ever endeavored to become president.” | “I hear folks saying they don’t feel inspired in this election,” Obama said. “Well let me tell you, I disagree. I am inspired. Because for eight years, I’ve had the privilege to see what it takes to actually do this job, and here is what I absolutely know for sure. Listen to this: Right now we have an opportunity to elect one of the most qualified people who has ever endeavored to become president.” |
| Perhaps above all, the campaign event was a testament to Obama’s enduring popularity. | Perhaps above all, the campaign event was a testament to Obama’s enduring popularity. |
| “It is so hard to believe that it is less than 2 months until election and that my family is almost at the end of term,” Obama said. The crowd broke into a raucous round of chanting: “Four more years” chant. “No,” Obama protested, waving her hand at the crowd as the chant continued. “No!” | “It is so hard to believe that it is less than 2 months until election and that my family is almost at the end of term,” Obama said. The crowd broke into a raucous round of chanting: “Four more years” chant. “No,” Obama protested, waving her hand at the crowd as the chant continued. “No!” |
| “I promise you,” she said, “Barack and I will continue to work for you for the rest of our lives.” | “I promise you,” she said, “Barack and I will continue to work for you for the rest of our lives.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 9.51pm BST | at 9.51pm BST |
| 9.16pm BST | 9.16pm BST |
| 21:16 | 21:16 |
| Donald Trump’s campaign is attempting to prove the false allegation that Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign ignited the birther rumors about then-opponent Barack Obama’s citizenship with an interview transcript from a CNN phoner with Clinton’s former campaign manager. | Donald Trump’s campaign is attempting to prove the false allegation that Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign ignited the birther rumors about then-opponent Barack Obama’s citizenship with an interview transcript from a CNN phoner with Clinton’s former campaign manager. |
| The transcript falls short of this claim: | The transcript falls short of this claim: |
| PATTI SOLIS DOYLE: There was a volunteer coordinator, I believe in late 2007, I think in December, one of our volunteer coordinators in one of the counties in Iowa. I don’t recall whether they an actual paid staffer, but they did forward an e-mail that promoted the conspiracy. | PATTI SOLIS DOYLE: There was a volunteer coordinator, I believe in late 2007, I think in December, one of our volunteer coordinators in one of the counties in Iowa. I don’t recall whether they an actual paid staffer, but they did forward an e-mail that promoted the conspiracy. |
| WOLF BLITZER: The birther conspiracy? | WOLF BLITZER: The birther conspiracy? |
| DOYLE: Yeah. Hillary made the decision immediately to let that person go. We let that person go. | DOYLE: Yeah. Hillary made the decision immediately to let that person go. We let that person go. |
| 9.12pm BST | 9.12pm BST |
| 21:12 | 21:12 |
| Billionaire Fight! | Billionaire Fight! |
| .1) @realDonaldTrump $10mm to the charity of YOUR choice if you let ME interview you for 4 hrs on YOUR policies and their substance. | .1) @realDonaldTrump $10mm to the charity of YOUR choice if you let ME interview you for 4 hrs on YOUR policies and their substance. |
| The whole thread is worth a gander. | The whole thread is worth a gander. |
| 9.08pm BST | 9.08pm BST |
| 21:08 | 21:08 |
| Rush Limbaugh: ‘Are you admitting Trump is not a conservative? Damn right I am!’ | Rush Limbaugh: ‘Are you admitting Trump is not a conservative? Damn right I am!’ |
| Bellicose bloviator Rush Limbaugh made a major concession this afternoon, telling listeners that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is not, in fact, a conservative. | Bellicose bloviator Rush Limbaugh made a major concession this afternoon, telling listeners that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is not, in fact, a conservative. |
| “Can somebody point to me the conservative on the ballot?” Limbaugh asked his listeners this afternoon. “‘What do you mean, Rush? Are you admitting Trump is not a conservative?’ Damn right I am!” he thundered. | “Can somebody point to me the conservative on the ballot?” Limbaugh asked his listeners this afternoon. “‘What do you mean, Rush? Are you admitting Trump is not a conservative?’ Damn right I am!” he thundered. |
| “Folks, when did I ever say that he was? Look, I don’t know how to tell you this. Conservatism lost, in the primary, if that’s how you want to look at it. We had Cruz; we had Rubio.” | “Folks, when did I ever say that he was? Look, I don’t know how to tell you this. Conservatism lost, in the primary, if that’s how you want to look at it. We had Cruz; we had Rubio.” |
| Limbaugh sounded uncharacteristically defeated in the segment, expressing frustration with the nomination of Republicans who are not conservative enough. | Limbaugh sounded uncharacteristically defeated in the segment, expressing frustration with the nomination of Republicans who are not conservative enough. |
| “Even what we’ve seen now, we haven’t seen anything,” Limbaugh said. “But the establishment’s gonna come together to protect themselves regardless of ideology. I wish conservatism was on the ballot.” | “Even what we’ve seen now, we haven’t seen anything,” Limbaugh said. “But the establishment’s gonna come together to protect themselves regardless of ideology. I wish conservatism was on the ballot.” |
| 8.39pm BST | 8.39pm BST |
| 20:39 | 20:39 |
| Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson has reacted to the Commission on Presidential Debates’ announcement that only Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will be invited to the first debate of the general-election campaign with frustration, but not with surprise. | Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson has reacted to the Commission on Presidential Debates’ announcement that only Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will be invited to the first debate of the general-election campaign with frustration, but not with surprise. |
| “I would say I am surprised that the CPD has chosen to exclude me from the first debate, but I’m not,” Johnson said in a statement. “After all, the commission is a private organization created 30 years ago by the Republican and Democratic parties for the clear purpose of taking control of the only nationally-televised presidential debates voters will see. At the time of its creation, the leaders of those two parties made no effort to hide the fact that they didn’t want any third party intrusions into their shows.” | “I would say I am surprised that the CPD has chosen to exclude me from the first debate, but I’m not,” Johnson said in a statement. “After all, the commission is a private organization created 30 years ago by the Republican and Democratic parties for the clear purpose of taking control of the only nationally-televised presidential debates voters will see. At the time of its creation, the leaders of those two parties made no effort to hide the fact that they didn’t want any third party intrusions into their shows.” |
| “The CPD may scoff at a ticket that enjoys ‘only’ 9 or 10% in their hand-selected polls, but even 9% represents 13 million voters, more than the total population of Ohio and most other states. Yet, the Republicans and Democrats are choosing to silence the candidate preferred by those millions of Americans.” | “The CPD may scoff at a ticket that enjoys ‘only’ 9 or 10% in their hand-selected polls, but even 9% represents 13 million voters, more than the total population of Ohio and most other states. Yet, the Republicans and Democrats are choosing to silence the candidate preferred by those millions of Americans.” |
| “It is unfortunate that the CPD doesn’t believe such a voice should be heard. There are more polls and more debates, and we plan to be on the debate stage in October.” | “It is unfortunate that the CPD doesn’t believe such a voice should be heard. There are more polls and more debates, and we plan to be on the debate stage in October.” |
| 8.13pm BST | 8.13pm BST |
| 20:13 | 20:13 |
| Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump to be sole candidates on debate stage | Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump to be sole candidates on debate stage |
| It’s official: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will be the only candidates to appear on the stage at the first presidential debate of the general-election campaign, after Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green party nominee Jill Stein failed to reach the polling threshold necessary to merit an invitation. | It’s official: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will be the only candidates to appear on the stage at the first presidential debate of the general-election campaign, after Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green party nominee Jill Stein failed to reach the polling threshold necessary to merit an invitation. |
| The Commission on Presidential Debates released a statement officially declaring that Clinton, Trump and their running mates will be the only people to appear in the first two debates: | The Commission on Presidential Debates released a statement officially declaring that Clinton, Trump and their running mates will be the only people to appear in the first two debates: |
| The Board determined that the polling averages called for... are as follows: Hillary Clinton (43%), Donald Trump (40.4%), Gary Johnson (8.4%) and Jill Stein (3.2%). Accordingly, Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Tim Kaine, and Donald Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, qualify to participate in the September 26 presidential debate and the October 4 vice-presidential debate, respectively. No other candidates satisfied the criteria for inclusion. | The Board determined that the polling averages called for... are as follows: Hillary Clinton (43%), Donald Trump (40.4%), Gary Johnson (8.4%) and Jill Stein (3.2%). Accordingly, Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Tim Kaine, and Donald Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, qualify to participate in the September 26 presidential debate and the October 4 vice-presidential debate, respectively. No other candidates satisfied the criteria for inclusion. |
| The composition of the final two presidential debates will be decided upon polling in the future. | The composition of the final two presidential debates will be decided upon polling in the future. |
| 8.04pm BST | 8.04pm BST |
| 20:04 | 20:04 |
| Here’s a video stream of first lady Michelle Obama campaigning for Clinton in northern Virginia: | Here’s a video stream of first lady Michelle Obama campaigning for Clinton in northern Virginia: |
| 7.54pm BST | 7.54pm BST |
| 19:54 | 19:54 |
| Ben Carson launches ideas forum | Ben Carson launches ideas forum |
| Ben Carson, whose campaign used money raised in the name of the lord to pay political consultants for – what? – and who believes that Putin, Khameni and Abbas used the pyramids to store guns with which Jews could have prevented the Holocaust, or something, has launched an “ideas forum”: | Ben Carson, whose campaign used money raised in the name of the lord to pay political consultants for – what? – and who believes that Putin, Khameni and Abbas used the pyramids to store guns with which Jews could have prevented the Holocaust, or something, has launched an “ideas forum”: |
| I'm pleased to announce the launch of the Carson Ideas Forum. pic.twitter.com/sapKET2BK8 | I'm pleased to announce the launch of the Carson Ideas Forum. pic.twitter.com/sapKET2BK8 |
| 7.45pm BST | 7.45pm BST |
| 19:45 | 19:45 |
| Something’s falling apart. Not clear what it is. | Something’s falling apart. Not clear what it is. |
| "I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me" pic.twitter.com/A537dShcnl | "I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me" pic.twitter.com/A537dShcnl |
| 7.17pm BST | 7.17pm BST |
| 19:17 | 19:17 |
| The web site of the person who runs Trump’s campaign thinks it’s funny that Trump announces news conferences he doesn’t hold and seems to find Trump’s sudden reversal on the question of Barack Obama’s native birth funny, too. Harmless at least. Or funny in its harmfulness? And for some reason this Breitbart post includes a picture of Harambe the gorilla. | The web site of the person who runs Trump’s campaign thinks it’s funny that Trump announces news conferences he doesn’t hold and seems to find Trump’s sudden reversal on the question of Barack Obama’s native birth funny, too. Harmless at least. Or funny in its harmfulness? And for some reason this Breitbart post includes a picture of Harambe the gorilla. |
| The person who runs this web site is currently running Donald Trump’s presidential campaign: | The person who runs this web site is currently running Donald Trump’s presidential campaign: |
| uh guys that's not how this meme works pic.twitter.com/2xYgjmlMaZ | uh guys that's not how this meme works pic.twitter.com/2xYgjmlMaZ |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.18pm BST | at 7.18pm BST |