Jesse Watters reignites birtherism conspiracy just hours before Obama's DNC speech
WASHINGTON, DC: The enduring conspiracy theory about Barack Obama's birth certificate has resurfaced yet again. On Tuesday night, Fox News host Jesse Watters stirred controversy by questioning its authenticity during a live broadcast of 'The Five.'
This happened just hours before Obama’s anticipated speech at the Democratic National Convention.
Jesse Watters revisits birtherism hours before Obama’s DNC speech
According to the Daily Beast, Jesse Watters set the tone by referring to Barack Obama as “still the godfather of this machine,” implying his ongoing influence within the Democratic Party.
He continued, “He gave us Joe Biden as VP. He gave us Hillary as secretary of state. Then he couped Joe, put all his boys with Kamala’s team, and had his wingman Holder vet Walz,” referencing Eric Holder, Obama’s former attorney general.
Watters then claimed, “He’s definitely going to interfere in this election,” echoing the language used by Donald Trump to describe routine intra-party maneuvers as nefarious plots.
Jesse Watters suggests new investigation into Barack Obama’s birth certificate
In a questionable attempt at humor or otherwise, Jesse Watters suggested that Barack Obama’s birth certificate remained shrouded in mystery.
“That’s why we’ll be sending Johnny to Hawaii to get the truth about the birth certificate,” Watters told his audience. “This time we will dig deep and find out what really happened.”
Birtherism is the unfounded theory that Obama was not born in the United States, making him ineligible to legally serve as president.
Some falsely claimed that he was born in Kenya, his father's birthplace, rather than in Hawaii. Despite numerous investigations confirming Obama's status as a natural-born US citizen, the myth continues to persist.
Donald Trump previously fueled this conspiracy, asserting that he had sent investigators to Hawaii. Trump later propagated similar unfounded claims regarding Kamala Harris when she was selected as Biden’s running mate in 2020.
Greg Gutfeld adds humor to birtherism debate
Following Jesse Watters’ remarks, his co-host Greg Gutfeld interjected with a jest. “Good point. You should tell Johnny that he needs to get a passport,” he said, prompting a moment of awkward silence from the panel.
Gutfeld continued, “To go to Kenya—I agree,” to which Watters laughed. Gutfeld then clarified, “No, I meant to Hawaii, just to see him do it. Ask him what the exchange rate is for the Hawaiian dollar.”