Barack Obama’s ‘searing 2011 public humiliation of Donald Trump was the moment he decided to run for president’
THE Donald launched his presidential bid to get revenge on Barack Obama after he publicly poked fun at the businessman, political commentators have said.
Obama hit back at egotistical billionaire and President-elect of the United States Donald Trump after he repeatedly called to see the birth certificate of nation's first African-American president.
Trump played a key role in the so-called 'birtherism' conspiracy, which falsely claimed Obama was born in Kenya rather than Hawaii and was therefore not eligible for the presidency.
So persistent was he that in 2011 Obama published his long form birth certificate to put an end to the matter.
Obama then mocked the 45th US President relentlessly during the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
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Obama said: “I know that he’s taken some flak lately.
“No one is prouder to put this birth-certificate matter to rest than the Donald.
"And that’s because he can finally get back to the issues that matter, like: did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?”
Helen Lewis, deputy editor of the , thinks this was when Trump decided to launch his all-consuming bid for the White House.
Those present at the event said Trump looked furious as Obama mocked him.
New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik said: “His head set in place, like a man in a pillory, he barely moved or altered his expression as wave after wave of laughter struck him.
"There was not a trace of feigning good humour about him.”
In June 2015 Trump announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination.
He and Obama have traded blows throughout the campaign with the outgoing president frequently dismissing his chances and giving his full support to Hillary Clinton.
Last month, during an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, Obama was asked to read tweets written about himself.
The last was one - from @realDonaldTrump - said: "President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!"
Obama retorted: "At least I'll go down as a president."
It looks like he spoke too soon.
In his first address as President-elect this morning Trump said: "I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important for me.
"It's time for us to come together as one united people. I pledge to every citizen that I will be president for all."
Obama was not the only one who didn't believe Trump would make it to the White House - many are now being called out to keep absurd promises they made before the election.
Anger has been spilling out into street brawls across America in the hours since the election.
It seems the divisions caused by the vote will continue to cause disputes as America waits to see what happens next.
In the hours since the result was named Theresa May and Valdimir Putin have been among the heads of state to congratulate Trump on his victory.
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