# Donald Trump releases birth certificate - I think it's fake. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 9, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644 "2013-01-09T17:15:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/41 "2013-01-11T00:24:40Z")
I don’t think it’s so much that Trump believes he’s too big to get fucked with, it’s just that he makes it a policy to make people regret it when they do. And there’s no way Maher can come out ahead on this. He will lose a great deal of face if he reneges on his offer even though he obviously never expected to be called on it, and Trump has plenty of money and media access to rub his nose in it. Maher is in a world of hurt right now. If he reneges he’ll lose face and will never be able to crack wise like that again in public because everyone will know he’ll back down if called on it, and he stands to lose a ton of dough if Trump sues him. All in all, I don’t imagine Bill Maher is a very happy guy right about now. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/42 "2013-01-11T00:30:06Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > The document says it is a certification of name and birth facts on file with the Department of Vital Records. > > In other words, it’s a simile intended to reflect pertinent info from the original birth certificate and is most likely the form of official birth documentation now being furnished by the city of New York. > > On the other hand, it might be a fake intended to illustrate - with Bill Maher as fallguy - that an official looking but nonetheless fake simile can easily be passed off as legitimate, and therefore a simile such as the one released by Obama could be faked just as easily. > > Either way, neither is the long form and the same arguments that Trump’s opponents (and some posters here) may use to challenge the authenticity of Trump’s birth certificate can also be legitimately applied to Obama’s. > > It will be interesting to see what Trump’s up to as this plays out. Either way, Maher is finding out, as did Rosie O’Donnell and countless others in the business world before him, that you don’t fuck with The Donald. Maher seemed to be feeling the fear already as he stated right out loud on _The Tonight Show_ that he wasn’t wanting to start a feud with Donald Trump - a telling admission coming from such an arrogant and aggressive blowhard as Maher. But guess what, chum(p), you already started it, and if things go according to form you’re going to regret it. This is a wondrous post. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/43 "2013-01-11T00:32:38Z")
**SA** , there is literally _no one_ on this thread (and probably anywhere else) who thinks the certificate released by Trump is fake. It is truly and utterly amazing to me that you do not realize this. My whole understanding of every one of your posts shall be transformed hereinafter. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/44 "2013-01-11T00:33:29Z")
It’s as real as his hair! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/45 "2013-01-11T00:34:38Z")
Even if that birth certificate is real (and setting aside the fact that it’s indisputably not the original), Trump has already reneged on the offer. The letter from his lawyer is asking for Maher to give Trump himself the money, which he will then distribute to charity. That wasn’t the deal, and it’s arrogant in the extreme for Trump to try to claim it was. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/46 "2013-01-11T00:59:58Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > **SA** , there is literally _no one_ on this thread (and probably anywhere else) who thinks the certificate released by Trump is fake. It is truly and utterly amazing to me that you do not realize this. My whole understanding of every one of your posts shall be transformed hereinafter. Oh, I don’t know. There have been plenty of posters who seemed genuinely doubtful of it. **panach45** comes readily to mind, for one. Besides, I learned long ago that there’s simply no telling how some people are going to take anything. I personally doubt that it’s fake because Trump wouldn’t be so stupid as to attempt to make his attorney party to a very public fraud, nor would his attorney likely be so naive and inexperienced as to be duped by a phony document. In the post you’re apparently referring to I was merely speculating as to possibilities. The fact you have not realized this is truly and utterly amazing to me, and every one of your posts shall be transformed hereinafter. (See how silly that sounds?) > [@Chronos](#): > > ``` > Even if that birth certificate is real (and setting aside the fact that it's indisputably not the original), Trump has already reneged on the offer. The letter from his lawyer is asking for Maher to give Trump himself the money, which he will then distribute to charity. That wasn't the deal, and it's arrogant in the extreme for Trump to try to claim it was. > > ``` Two things. One, I think you need to bone up on the meaning of the word “renege.” And two, I don’t believe Trump is alleging that Maher offered to pay him the money directly; he simply wants to make it clear if and when Maher ponies up the money that he has indeed done so. And perhaps also to insinuate that Maher can’t be trusted to actually donate the money rather than simply claiming he has, and therefore Trump wants to make sure it has indeed gone where it’s supposed to go. Besides, Maher simply said he’d donate five million dollars to Trump’s favorite charity. He said nothing one way or the other as to whether the money would go to Trump first…although admittedly the assumption would be that Trump would name the charity and Maher would then donate the money accordingly. Still, I don’t think it’s in any way dishonest or a deal-breaker for Maher that Trump is attempting to handle the distribution of the money himself. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/47 "2013-01-11T01:55:43Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Oh, I don’t know. There have been plenty of posters who seemed genuinely doubtful of it. **panach45** comes readily to mind, for one. Besides, I learned long ago that there’s simply no telling how some people are going to take anything. > > I personally doubt that it’s fake because Trump wouldn’t be so stupid as to attempt to make his attorney party to a very public fraud, nor would his attorney likely be so naive and inexperienced as to be duped by a phony document. In the post you’re apparently referring to I was merely speculating as to possibilities. The fact you have not realized this is truly and utterly amazing to me, and every one of your posts shall be transformed hereinafter. (See how silly that sounds?) > > Two things. One, I think you need to bone up on the meaning of the word “renege.” And two, I don’t believe Trump is alleging that Maher offered to pay him the money directly; he simply wants to make it clear if and when Maher ponies up the money that he has indeed done so. And perhaps also to insinuate that Maher can’t be trusted to actually donate the money rather than simply claiming he has, and therefore Trump wants to make sure it has indeed gone where it’s supposed to go. > > Besides, Maher simply said he’d donate five million dollars to Trump’s favorite charity. He said nothing one way or the other as to whether the money would go to Trump first…although admittedly the assumption would be that Trump would name the charity and Maher would then donate the money accordingly. Still, I don’t think it’s in any way dishonest or a deal-breaker for Maher that Trump is attempting to handle the distribution of the money himself. You make some interesting points, but you still haven’t provided any reason why we should believe this “certificate of birth” (if that’s indeed the real name of the document!) is genuine at all. Some people would do anything for $5 million. Donald Trump is one of those people, to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/48 "2013-01-11T02:08:23Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Oh, I don’t know. There have been plenty of posters who seemed genuinely doubtful of it. **panach45** comes readily to mind, for one. Besides, I learned long ago that there’s simply no telling how some people are going to take anything. > > I personally doubt that it’s fake because Trump wouldn’t be so stupid as to attempt to make his attorney party to a very public fraud, nor would his attorney likely be so naive and inexperienced as to be duped by a phony document. In the post you’re apparently referring to I was merely speculating as to possibilities. The fact you have not realized this is truly and utterly amazing to me, and every one of your posts shall be transformed hereinafter. (See how silly that sounds?) What people in this thread are doing is offering pretend arguments which they take to be just as good as Trump’s arguments against the authenticity of Obama’s birth certificate. They are doing this in order to show just how absurd those arguments are. All of this is predicated on the view that _of course_ Trump’s is genuine, just as _of course_ Obama’s is genuine. You made the really, really weird point that many of the arguments here apply as well to Obama’s birth certificate. _Yes, that’s the whole point!_. They are ludicrous when applied to Obama’s birth certificate just as they are ludicrous when applied to Trump’s. Your attempt to repeat my words back at me fails because there is no fundamental and very-easy-to-discern joke in the area that I’m not getting. Your post was utterly boneheaded and incomprehending. Not just wrong or disagreeable–you literally displayed an inabiliyty to understand something extremely simple. I didn’t realize until today that this is how things are with you. But there it is. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/49 "2013-01-11T03:01:34Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > You made the really, really weird point that many of the arguments here apply as well to Obama’s birth certificate. I did no such thing. What I did was posit that perhaps Trump’s thinking, in the event the document turned out to be phony, was that the same arguments being used to discredit his BC can be used just as easily to discredit Obama’s. (We could also argue about all the good that Trump’s five million dollars could have accomplished had Obama not been so heartless as to blow off his challenge and simply release his college documents and long form certificate. I know if someone were to offer to contribute five million dollars to my favorite charity I’d be jumping through whatever hoops I could to make it happen. One can only speculate how loud the outrage would be had a Republican president refused such charitable largesse. But I digress…) > [@Frylock](#): > > _Yes, that’s the whole point!_. They are ludicrous when applied to Obama’s birth certificate just as they are ludicrous when applied to Trump’s. Well then, let’s just say I was taking into account those readers who may not have been so astute as to pick up on the satire. 😉 > [@Frylock](#): > > Your attempt to repeat my words back at me fails because there is no fundamental and very-easy-to-discern joke in the area that I’m not getting. Your post was utterly boneheaded and incomprehending. Not just wrong or disagreeable–you literally displayed an inabiliyty to understand something extremely simple. I didn’t realize until today that this is how things are with you. But there it is. No, your words fail and on three different points. One, I didn’t make the point that many of the arguments here apply as well to Obama’s birth certificate, I said that Trump may have been laying a trap intended to allow him to say that. I’m on record here as saying that I’m convinced Obama was born in Hawaii, so why would I now be trying to stir up questions as to the legitimacy of his BC? So we’ve got a failure of comprehension there on your part. Secondly, you appear to be attempting to read the minds of and speak for all the other posters in the thread, an attempt which is both ludicrous on the face of it and demonstrably false, as demonstrated most recently in the posts of both **Chronos** (“_Even if that birth certificate is real_”) and **Ravenman** (“_you still haven’t provided any reason why we should believe this “certificate of birth” (if that’s indeed the real name of the document!) is genuine at all_”). And third, and most amusing of all, you appear to suggest your former esteem for me done irreparable damage by my post upthread. I never cease to be amused by the number of people around here who’ve allegedly had their former high opinion of me shattered by something I’ve said. Sorry as I am to lose their admiration, I’m also at a loss to explain why I never seem to experience that high regard prior to the time they want to use the loss of it against me. So while I may bemoan the loss of your former high regard, at least I can be cheered and heartened by the fact that it once existed. Or are you perhaps merely blowing smoke? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/50 "2013-01-11T03:29:24Z")
Whether it’s real or not, I don’t think there’s a contract between Maher and Trump. At the worst, this will cost Maher a few bucks to pay a lawyer to have the suit dismissed, and to request Trump and his attorneys be sanctioned for filing a frivolous lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/51 "2013-01-11T03:55:59Z")
SA’s world is so wondrous. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/52 "2013-01-11T04:16:21Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > No, your words fail and on three different points. One, I didn’t make the point that many of the arguments here apply as well to Obama’s birth certificate, I said that Trump may have been laying a trap intended to allow him to say that. I’m on record here as saying that I’m convinced Obama was born in Hawaii, so why would I now be trying to stir up questions as to the legitimacy of his BC? So we’ve got a failure of comprehension there on your part. Secondly, you appear to be attempting to read the minds of and speak for all the other posters in the thread, an attempt which is both ludicrous on the face of it and demonstrably false, as demonstrated most recently in the posts of both **Chronos** (“_Even if that birth certificate is real_”) and **Ravenman** (“_you still haven’t provided any reason why we should believe this “certificate of birth” (if that’s indeed the real name of the document!) is genuine at all_”). And third, and most amusing of all, you appear to suggest your former esteem for me done irreparable damage by my post upthread. I never cease to be amused by the number of people around here who’ve allegedly had their former high opinion of me shattered by something I’ve said. Sorry as I am to lose their admiration, I’m also at a loss to explain why I never seem to experience that high regard prior to the time they want to use the loss of it against me. So while I may bemoan the loss of your former high regard, at least I can be cheered and heartened by the fact that it once existed. Or are you perhaps merely blowing smoke? Ravenman and Chronos are _joking_, it is _very obvious_ that they’re joking (no mind reading required). The fact that you’re not picking up on this should be cause for taking a shot of intellectual humility. But instead you’re doubling down! Which just is just so… _wondrous_. I didn’t claim to have ever had a high opinion of you, I just didn’t understand that you had quite this level of a failure of comprehension about how people think. Now I know, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/53 "2013-01-11T04:35:35Z")
> [@42fish](#): > > So Trump stole your Cook County birth certificate and used it to create his fake NYC one! Ha! I should have reread my post. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/54 "2013-01-11T05:27:47Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > **Ravenman** and **Chronos** are joking, it is very obvious that they’re joking… Okay, now I really am beginning to reassess my opinion of you. And it ain’t _up_! 😃 > [@Frylock](#): > > I didn’t claim to have ever had a high opinion of you, I just didn’t understand that you had quite this level of a failure of comprehension about how people think. Now I know, I guess. Given that I’ve been a fairly vociferous political gadfly around here for ten years or so I’d say your ignorance up to now in this regard doesn’t speak too highly for your analytic capabilities. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/55 "2013-01-11T07:50:11Z")
SA, let me explain to you what’s happened. Donald Trump is an idiot. He decided to join the birther camp, which is a group of idiots. He challenged Obama on the birth certificate issue because he knew he could keep moving the goal posts - no matter how much proof Obama offered, Trump could keep insisted more proof was needed so he’ll never have to admit he’s wrong. Bill Maher is an asshole. But he’s successfully making fun of Donald Trump by throwing Trump’s own idiocy back at him. He’s challenged Trump the exact same way Trump challenged Obama and like Trump he’s set the standard in such a way that it will be impossible for Trump to meet it. So Maher can’t lose this challenge. Trump, however, had lost and can continue losing on this. The more he complains about it the more he calls attention to the fact that he started this whole thing. He seriously did the same thing that Maher is doing satirically. So Trump is just reminding everyone of what an idiot he’s been. Going around acting like he can use his money to squash people who make fun of him just makes him look like a privileged idiot. And taking Maher to court will just put Trump’s idiocy on public record. If Trump wants to stop being perceived as an idiot, he needs to stop acting like an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/56 "2013-01-11T10:32:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Even if that birth certificate is real (and setting aside the fact that it’s indisputably not the original), Trump has already reneged on the offer. The letter from his lawyer is asking for Maher to give Trump himself the money, which he will then distribute to charity. That wasn’t the deal, and it’s arrogant in the extreme for Trump to try to claim it was. Indeed. Trumps original proposal also was that he would donate to the charities, not to Obama himself. Maher made the same offer. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/57 "2013-01-11T13:11:25Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I don’t think it’s so much that Trump believes he’s too big to get fucked with, it’s just that he makes it a policy to make people regret it when they do. And apparently he only does so when he feels he can afford to? : > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > It’s all about punishing Maher, and defending a lawsuit conducted by Trump’s high-powered lawyers is going to cost Maher plenty, win or lose. Here’s another donor to the Maher legal fund. But IMO Trump isn’t going to really sue Maher. He’s just going to use it as an applause line with the fools who admire the fictional character he has created around himself. He’s as much a comedian as Maher by now. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/58 "2013-01-11T14:17:16Z")
I would like to request that people stop telling **SA** that I’m joking. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/59 "2013-01-11T17:21:36Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Looks like Maher’s little bit of fun on the _Tonight Show_ the other night is going to be very expensive for him even if he welshes on his offer. Trump is now saying he’ll probably sue for the money if Maher doesn’t cough it up. [Cite.](http://www.mediaite.com/tv/donald-trump-i-will-sue-bill-maher-if-he-does-not-pay-up-5m/) I strongly doubt Trump will win but I’m sure he knows that. It’s all about punishing Maher, and defending a lawsuit conducted by Trump’s high-powered lawyers is going to cost Maher plenty, win or lose. I guess I’m not as knowledgeable about Trump’s political position as I thought – I am genuinely surprised to find Trump promoting frivolous litigation and nuisance lawsuits, when his political party strongly supports “tort reform.” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644/60 "2013-01-12T21:56:23Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > The document says it is a certification of name and birth facts on file with the Department of Vital Records. > > In other words, it’s a simile intended to reflect pertinent info from the original birth certificate and is most likely the form of official birth documentation now being furnished by the city of New York. > > On the other hand, it might be a fake intended to illustrate - with Bill Maher as fallguy - that an official looking but nonetheless fake simile can easily be passed off as legitimate, and therefore a simile such as the one released by Obama could be faked just as easily. > > Either way, neither is the long form and the same arguments that Trump’s opponents (and some posters here) may use to challenge the authenticity of Trump’s birth certificate can also be legitimately applied to Obama’s. > > It will be interesting to see what Trump’s up to as this plays out. Either way, Maher is finding out, as did Rosie O’Donnell and countless others in the business world before him, that you don’t fuck with The Donald. Maher seemed to be feeling the fear already as he stated right out loud on _The Tonight Show_ that he wasn’t wanting to start a feud with Donald Trump - a telling admission coming from such an arrogant and aggressive blowhard as Maher. But guess what, chum(p), you already started it, and if things go according to form you’re going to regret it. > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Looks like Maher’s little bit of fun on the _Tonight Show_ the other night is going to be very expensive for him even if he welshes on his offer. Trump is now saying he’ll probably sue for the money if Maher doesn’t cough it up. [Cite.](http://www.mediaite.com/tv/donald-trump-i-will-sue-bill-maher-if-he-does-not-pay-up-5m/) I strongly doubt Trump will win but I’m sure he knows that. It’s all about punishing Maher, and defending a lawsuit conducted by Trump’s high-powered lawyers is going to cost Maher plenty, win or lose. > > Trump talked about his philosophy to being fucked with twenty-five or so years ago in _The Art of the Deal_. He hits back and he hits hard. That way people learn not to fuck with him. This is a lesson Bill Maher is about to learn the hard way. He should have read the book, and failing that he should have taken note of what happened to Rosie O’Donnell. You just. don’t. fuck. with the Donald. I don’t know of anyone who ever has who came out on top afterward. > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Oh, I don’t know. There have been plenty of posters who seemed genuinely doubtful of it. **panach45** comes readily to mind, for one. Besides, I learned long ago that there’s simply no telling how some people are going to take anything. > > I personally doubt that it’s fake because Trump wouldn’t be so stupid as to attempt to make his attorney party to a very public fraud, nor would his attorney likely be so naive and inexperienced as to be duped by a phony document. In the post you’re apparently referring to I was merely speculating as to possibilities. The fact you have not realized this is truly and utterly amazing to me, and every one of your posts shall be transformed hereinafter. (See how silly that sounds?) > > Two things. One, I think you need to bone up on the meaning of the word “renege.” And two, I don’t believe Trump is alleging that Maher offered to pay him the money directly; he simply wants to make it clear if and when Maher ponies up the money that he has indeed done so. And perhaps also to insinuate that Maher can’t be trusted to actually donate the money rather than simply claiming he has, and therefore Trump wants to make sure it has indeed gone where it’s supposed to go. > > Besides, Maher simply said he’d donate five million dollars to Trump’s favorite charity. He said nothing one way or the other as to whether the money would go to Trump first…although admittedly the assumption would be that Trump would name the charity and Maher would then donate the money accordingly. Still, I don’t think it’s in any way dishonest or a deal-breaker for Maher that Trump is attempting to handle the distribution of the money himself. > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I did no such thing. What I did was posit that perhaps Trump’s thinking, in the event the document turned out to be phony, was that the same arguments being used to discredit his BC can be used just as easily to discredit Obama’s. (We could also argue about all the good that Trump’s five million dollars could have accomplished had Obama not been so heartless as to blow off his challenge and simply release his college documents and long form certificate. I know if someone were to offer to contribute five million dollars to my favorite charity I’d be jumping through whatever hoops I could to make it happen. One can only speculate how loud the outrage would be had a Republican president refused such charitable largesse. But I digress…) > > Well then, let’s just say I was taking into account those readers who may not have been so astute as to pick up on the satire. 😉 > > No, your words fail and on three different points. One, I didn’t make the point that many of the arguments here apply as well to Obama’s birth certificate, I said that Trump may have been laying a trap intended to allow him to say that. I’m on record here as saying that I’m convinced Obama was born in Hawaii, so why would I now be trying to stir up questions as to the legitimacy of his BC? So we’ve got a failure of comprehension there on your part. Secondly, you appear to be attempting to read the minds of and speak for all the other posters in the thread, an attempt which is both ludicrous on the face of it and demonstrably false, as demonstrated most recently in the posts of both **Chronos** (“_Even if that birth certificate is real_”) and **Ravenman** (“_you still haven’t provided any reason why we should believe this “certificate of birth” (if that’s indeed the real name of the document!) is genuine at all_”). And third, and most amusing of all, you appear to suggest your former esteem for me done irreparable damage by my post upthread. I never cease to be amused by the number of people around here who’ve allegedly had their former high opinion of me shattered by something I’ve said. Sorry as I am to lose their admiration, I’m also at a loss to explain why I never seem to experience that high regard prior to the time they want to use the loss of it against me. So while I may bemoan the loss of your former high regard, at least I can be cheered and heartened by the fact that it once existed. Or are you perhaps merely blowing smoke? I swear, I’m going to start a self-help seminar where I get up front and ask “What should you be doing that you aren’t right now? Okay, go do it.” SA, your free ticket is on its way. - (includes the breakout sessions, the working breakfast, and the cash bar)\* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-releases-birth-certificate-i-think-its-fake/646644.md?page=4)