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People are remembering when Melania Trump peddled the racist 'birther' theory about Obama

People are remembering when Melania Trump peddled the racist 'birther' theory about Obama

Melania Trump has weighed in on the “racial unrest” in the US while giving her speech during the second day of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

The First Lady said:

Like all of you, I have reflected on the racial unrest in our country. It is a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history. I encourage you to focus on the future while still learning from the past.

In the wake of nation-wide protests after the killing of George Floyd, Melania added:

I urge people to come together in a civil manner so we can work and live up to our standard American ideals.

I also ask people to stop the violence and looting being done in the name of justice, and never make assumptions based on the colour of a person's skin.

But people are remembering the time she echoed the racist sentiments of her husband when she called on Barack Obama to release his birth certificate.

During Obama’s presidency, Donald Trump led calls for the former president to confirm the legitimacy of his Hawaiian birth certificate.

Many people argued the conspiracy theory is racist because no other US president was ever questioned about his birthplace until the first Black president took office – Obama.

In a 2011 interview with The View host Joy Behar, Melania demanded to see the birth certificate:

It’s not only Donald who wants to see [Obama's birth certificate], it’s [the] American people who voted for him and who didn’t vote for him. They want to see that.

People couldn’t believe Melania was now calling for an end to “racial unrest” when she helped promote a racist conspiracy theory:

Who needs to “Be Best” now, Melania?

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