Donald Trump admitted for the first time Friday that Barack Obama was born on American soil, after years spent fuelling the so-called “birther” movement that cast doubt on the US president’s legitimacy.

“President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period,” the Republican White House nominee told a nationally-televised press conference.

Trump

“Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it. I finished it. You know what I mean?” he claimed.