Feinstein: Trump is ‘reaching the point of ridiculousness’

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) chastised Donald Trump Wednesday for fueling doubts about the authenticity of President Obama’s birth certificate, saying the real-estate mogul was “reaching the point of ridiculousness.”

Feinstein spoke Wednesday evening at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, according to the Los Angeles Times.

{mosads}“With all the problems in the world — and if Mr. Trump wants to run for president, why doesn’t he talk about what he would do to solve some of these problems?” Feinstein said. “I think everybody who has ever heard Barack Obama knows he is a very smart man, and I think the birther movement was ridiculous. Now pushing this into something else is ridiculous.” 

Earlier in the day, President Obama surprised reporters by releasing copies of his two-page, long-form birth certificate issued by the state of Hawaii. The document serves as further proof that Obama was born on Aug. 4, 1961, at Kapiolani Hospital in Honolulu. 

“We do not have time for this kind of silliness,” Obama said. “I’ve got better stuff to do.”

But Trump, who has used his notoriety to help bring claims that Obama was not born in the United States to the forefront in recent months, said on Wednesday that he was still not quite satisfied with the document.

“[We’re] going to look at it. We have to see if it’s real, if it’s proper,” said the billionaire, who was in New Hampshire exploring a possible bid for the GOP presidential nomination. 

Trump also took a victory lap for the role he claims to have played in prompting the administration to produce the document. 

“I’m really proud, I’m honored,” Trump told reporters at Pease International Airport in N.H., on Wednesday.” I have accomplished something really, really important. … I managed to do what others could not. I was able to get the president to finally come out with a birth certificate.”