# I just figured out why Trump is a "Birther" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 5, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648 "2017-12-05T19:16:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/21 "2017-12-06T05:14:27Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I’m surprised it took me this long to see it. Trump thinks that Obama lied about his birthplace because he (Trump) lies about everything. His recent denial of his Access Hollywood tape crystalized this for me. Since Trump lies about even the most incontrovertible truths, he must think that **all** people do this, so therefor Obama must have been lying, too. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > From what I can see, Trump is a solipsist. I doubt it occurs to him that other people have inner thoughts the way he does. Other people are just objects that exist in a universe that is centered around Donald Trump. > > So why did Trump support birtherism? Because it served Donald Trump to do so. Why did he suddenly drop it? Because it no longer served Donald Trump. That’s how he sees the world: things that help Donald Trump, things that hurt Donald Trump, and things that don’t matter to Donald Trump. I don’t know about the solipsism, but I agree 100% with the second paragraph, **Nemo**. The problem with the OP is that it implies Trump would not have believed the first people he heard the Birther shit from. If he thinks everyone always lies, then he also thinks, for example, that Roy Moore is lying. The more parsimonious explanation is that he’s an opportunist, looking out mainly (if not only) for himself (and maybe his close family members). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/22 "2017-12-06T05:36:20Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > And then the uppity black man had the nerve to mock _him(!)_ at the WH Correspondents Dinner (2011). I think it’s this above. Our piece of trash president was humiliated and determined on revenge. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/23 "2017-12-06T06:14:42Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > [QFT](https://www.google.com/search?q=image+trump+troll&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=GpHOGO2jVsRu7M%253A%252C5aPN2cHhqZxBBM%252C_&usg=__xxK3-doegAlGBY_X5J7C_dqydZs%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjs7YemzvPXAhUY5mMKHVmUDtsQ9QEIKzAA#imgrc=GpHOGO2jVsRu7M:) Nnnoooooo!!! Why? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/24 "2017-12-06T10:11:50Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > From what I can see, Trump is a solipsist. I doubt it occurs to him that other people have inner thoughts the way he does. Solipsist, yes. Inner thoughts, not much. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Calling Trump a solipsist would indicate that he has some kind of guiding principles and a grasp of the philosophy of subjective idealism, which is giving him far more credit for intellect that anything he has ever said or done would indicate. Solipsism and subjective idealism are linked, but not the same thing. Among other things, I’ve encountered “solipsist” used to refer to a phase of child development where they are conscious of their own thoughts and feelings, not really of other people’s; and also, as Little Nemo did, to refer to people who never really got over that phase. To them, the rest of us aren’t people; we’re props. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/25 "2017-12-06T14:31:28Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The problem with the OP is that it implies Trump would not have believed the first people he heard the Birther shit from. If he thinks everyone always lies, then he also thinks, for example, that Roy Moore is lying. I’m sure Trump DOES think that Roy Moore is lying. He just doesn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/26 "2017-12-06T15:40:56Z")
The truth is whatever Trump wants it to be. Whatever he said in the past is forgotten, so therefore it never existed. That’s how he gets through life, and it’s gotten him as far as the presidency. No need to change that tactic because it makes him look strong in the face of adversity, and that’s his brand. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/27 "2017-12-06T16:04:31Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > True. Trump’s head is so far up his own ass that he just might vanish one day with a loud sucking sound. > > And that’s my fondest Christmas wish. A friend of mine sell little round pieces of plexiglass, he calls them belly button viewers. They are designed so people with their head’s up their ass can see where they are going. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/28 "2017-12-06T16:24:25Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > A friend of mine sell little round pieces of plexiglass, he calls them belly button viewers. They are designed so people with their head’s up their ass can see where they are going. I always figured they navigated by scent. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/29 "2017-12-06T18:21:57Z")
I think he genuinely believes truth is subjective. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/30 "2017-12-06T23:46:33Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Solipsist, yes. Inner thoughts, not much. > > Solipsism and subjective idealism are linked, but not the same thing. Among other things, I’ve encountered “solipsist” used to refer to a phase of child development where they are conscious of their own thoughts and feelings, not really of other people’s; and also, as Little Nemo did, to refer to people who never really got over that phase. **To them, the rest of us aren’t people; we’re props.** (bolding mine). The word for that is “sociopath”. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/31 "2017-12-07T09:03:38Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > (bolding mine). > > The word for that is “sociopath”. Not really, not necessarily, not always. My grandfather showed many more symptoms of sociopathy than my mother, but he did view other people as people and she doesn’t. What he didn’t see any non-sociopaths as was… equals; to him, non-sociopaths were prey, whereas other sociopaths were either allies or rivals. Gramps wasn’t a narcissist; Mom is. Solipsism, the idea that the world exists because you are in it, for you to be in it, is an extreme of narcissism. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/32 "2017-12-07T09:20:16Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Well, he knows NOW that he’s wrong. But one of the rules of Trump (or the GOP in general, it seems) is to never never never admit you are wrong. What makes you think Trump isn’t still a birther? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/33 "2017-12-08T17:15:03Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > He believes it because he is racist to the bone. This is a guy who settled out of court for refusing to rent to blacks. This is a guy who had to have black staff removed from his casino floors before he came down to see them. This is a guy consumed with outrage that the US elected a black president and it so offends his sense of what the US should be that he had to convince himself that Obama was not truly president. Absolutely agree with this assessment. Racist to the core. I assume Trump doesn’t even know when he is lying, so he couldn’t assume everyone does it since he believes he personally always tells the truth (as he sees it at that moment). I think he is seriously demented. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/34 "2017-12-08T20:15:19Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > how successful he has been at destroying Trump’s legislative agenda while appearing to be windsurfing in the Caribbean. > > Stranger A little OT but what has Obama been doing to destroy Trump’s legislative agenda? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/35 "2017-12-08T20:26:12Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > A little OT but what has Obama been doing to destroy Trump’s legislative agenda? It’s a joke. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/36 "2017-12-08T20:28:14Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > It’s a joke. We know trump’s “legislative agenda” is a joke. What’s Obama doing to stop it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648/37 "2017-12-08T23:00:42Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > He believes it because he is racist to the bone. This is a guy who settled out of court for refusing to rent to blacks. This is a guy who had to have black staff removed from his casino floors before he came down to see them. This is a guy consumed with outrage that the US elected a black president and it so offends his sense of what the US should be that he had to convince himself that Obama was not truly president. I agree with this 100 % ! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-figured-out-why-trump-is-a-birther/803648.md?page=1)