President Donald Trump may have put the Barack Obama birther conspiracy lie behind him, but Hawaii voters havenât forgotten.
For years, Trump promoted the damaging fake story that the former president wasnât born in Hawaii â but in Africa. So when Trump landed in Honolulu Friday as he set off on his Asia tour, Trump was greeted with protest signs that read: âWelcome to Kenya!â
Trump said last year that he was putting the birth conspiracy theory to rest, forgetting to mention that he was a key promoter of it. âPresident Obama was born in the United States, period,â he admitted before the presidential election.
But for years Trump insisted Obamaâs birth certificate was a fraud and that he was likely born in Kenya. Trump even said on âThe Today Showâ in 2011 that he had sent investigators to Hawaii to research the issue, and âthey cannot believe what theyâre finding.â Thereâs no proof such investigators were ever dispatched.
The birthing lie wasnât the only thing that upset protesters. Demonstrators also hit hard at Trumpâs anti-immigrant policies. Protesters called their rally âHawaii 3, Trump 0,â referring to the number of times courts in the state blocked Trumpâs attempts to institute a travel ban targeting Muslims.
Hawaii is one of the bluest of blue states. The state gave 62.2 percent of its vote to Hillary Clinton in last yearâs presidential election, with Trump getting only 30 percent.