John Boehner Answers Birther Questions (VIDEO)

In his first interview since being sworn in as Speaker of the House, John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Thursday he personally didn't believe the conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama's citizenship raised in an outburst inside the lower chamber, but declined to speak out more forcefully against the rumors, saying he wouldn't tell other Republicans "what to think."

NBC News' Brian Williams asked Boehner whether he felt any "responsibility" for a woman yelling "except Obama" and "help us Jesus" while a congressman was reading a segment of the Constitution regarding citizenship eligibility requirements for the Office of President.

"Brian, when you come to the Congress of the United States, there are 435 of us," Boehner said. "We're nothing more than a slice of America. People come, regardless of party labels, they come with all kinds of beliefs and ideas. It's the melting pot of America. It's not up to me to tell them what to think."

Despite Boehner's reluctance to control the fringe elements of his party who believe that Obama wasn't born in the United States, in his mind, he said, the matter is settled.

"The state of Hawaii has said that President Obama was born there," Boehner said. "That's good enough for me."

Boehner also dismissed the birther theories during a 2009 flareup that culminated in the introduction of the "Presidential Eligibility Act" focusing on Obama's birth certificate -- a piece of legislation supported by 11 House Republicans.

Politico reported at the time:

When pressed by another reporter as to whether he had any doubts that Obama was born in Hawaii, Boehner had a curt, one-word answer: "No."

WATCH:

Comments

[leannk]

04:38 PM on 01/26/2011

I can't believe this is still a topic. People that don't believe he was born in the U.S. really need to get a hobby.

[Peter Kosho McKenna]

12:27 AM on 01/10/2011

So even the Majority Leader of the House chooses to leave the door open for all kinds of fringe elements within the party to have a major voice. Wouldn't a leader with any integrity simply say the issue has been resolved and it's time to move on to the more important challenges our country faces?

I remember almost falling off my chair during the 2008 campaign when John McCain actually contradicted a questioner during a town hall meeting to emphatically state Obama is not a Muslim. The general attitude of the Republicans is to let the crazies have their day as long as it get them more supporters. But look at the price we are paying. And how do you think the Chinese or Russians view what is happening with our government? "Hah, the Americans can't even decide if their President is a citizen."

[MarsAmbassador]

03:59 PM on 01/07/2011

Did he cry when they asked him the question? Can you imagine the Republican response if Nancy Pelosi or Barney Frank started blubbering every 20 minutes like Johnny Tang?

[Genosse Joe]

12:05 PM on 01/08/2011

No, Obama did not cry. He just evaded the question about his BC.

He hides it. Why?

[Phxflyer]

02:18 PM on 01/07/2011

What a coward.

[Genosse Joe]

12:08 PM on 01/08/2011

He is not a coward.
He simply has no choice. Aparently, it is hard to present Birth Certificate if that document does not exist.

[SangZe]

02:04 PM on 01/07/2011

Prime slime.

[johndab]

01:58 PM on 01/07/2011

The question wasn't to change the 12 new "birther" congressmen's thinking but to say to them that the state of Hawaii had Obama's birth certificate on file and that was good enough for him. The "birthers" will never change their minds, even if they saw the certificate themselves They also believe in the easter bunny and tooth fairy. Pres Obama could ask the state to release the certificate but I think he enjoys these fools make complete donkeys of themselves.

[TwinX]

09:08 PM on 01/07/2011

I think he knows exactly what would happen if he did/does.

The birthers will immediately say it's a fake, exactly like they did within a day or two of him releasing his COLB.

Anonymous self proclaimed 'experts' will again suddenly pop up claiming to have spotted all kinds of irregularities. He should save his $10.

[VPN]

01:51 PM on 01/07/2011

What a pathetic display of lack of leadership from Clown Bohner. One would expect the Speaker of the House to stand up and tell his colleagues that this phony issue is over with and its time to focus doing the Peoples Business.

[buzzcuts]

01:51 PM on 01/07/2011

He is just so creepy

[ladydragon]

01:49 PM on 01/07/2011

I want to see Marco Rubio's birth certificate, didn't his parents come to Florida illegally? last I heard is that Hawaii is the 51st state, I wasn't aware that Cuba is a "state" so that makes Rubio an "anchor baby" right?

[CDRUSNret]

02:10 PM on 01/07/2011

Yep, Hawaii is the 51st of the 57 states. Rubio was born in Miami of naturalized US citizens who were Cuban exiles.....so there's no problem with his citizenship or being an "anchor". You may know that Cuban refugees hold special status and are not illegals, and therefore did not come here illegally. Also, unless the Constitution is changed or reinterpreted, "anchor babies" are US citizens, so your argument doesn't apply.

[Phxflyer]

02:20 PM on 01/07/2011

Not true. Not all Cuban refuges hold special status. Just ask the thousands that have been sent back.

[SkyCap]

02:55 PM on 01/07/2011

I'm not sure if ladydragon was being satirical or not...

[TitaniumAvatar]

01:38 PM on 01/07/2011

He doesn't tell them how to think, just how to vote.

[Chris 1]

01:24 PM on 01/07/2011

Why no long-form?

Try to be rational for a minute.

[TwinX]

09:18 PM on 01/07/2011

Why? Well look how well it worked out when people demanded to know whether the internet rumor that his middle name was 'Mohammed' was true. For some reason that name was 'worse' than 'Hussein'...

Anyway, he released his COLB (he data on which is an abstract of what is held by Hawaii on the 'original'.

Within a couple of days anonymous, self proclaimed 'experts' on the internet proclaimed it a 'fake', and ever since that day, birthers have been saying the 'fake' 'long form' is ageing somewhere in a Marxist Laboratory.

That's why.

[Gary Crum]

01:15 PM on 01/07/2011

Mr. Boehner, like the slimy politician he is, tries to have it both ways: don't repudiate the Birthers (golly gee, they might not like you), while "accepting" the evidence of President Obama's birth...the wacko fringe of the GOP managed to get enough tin-foil hats into congress that Boehner doesn't want to take them on......but, be warned JonnieBoy, at some point you will be faced with the "wacko choice"......either these folks are "your people" or you acknowledge that they are, in fact, crazy enough that you don't really want to be associated with them..

[CDRUSNret]

02:11 PM on 01/07/2011

In both parties...."slimy politician" is redundant.

[Jeff1958]

01:15 PM on 01/07/2011

Can I assume from Boehner's answer that he will never tell other Republicans how to vote on any piece of legislation (because they are entitled to their own opinions) or is Boehner simply full of
$&!# ?

[mw21]

01:53 PM on 01/07/2011

It's the latter.

[wgv]

01:12 PM on 01/07/2011

Why is this so hard for Americans to understand: it doesn't matter where President Obama was born: his mother was an American citizen. end of discussion! He is no different from John McCain, who was born in Panama. Give the man a break; this discussion would not happen if he was white!

[nongrata]

01:00 PM on 01/07/2011

USA! USA! USA! USA!