In an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus defended Mitt Romney’s comment during a Michigan campaign stop that “No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate.”
Priebus dismissed accusations that Romney was questioning President Barack Obama’s place of birth and said the candidate has consistently believed Obama was born in Hawaii.
“You know what — I think it is a nothing,” Priebus said. “You know, the fact is that Mitt Romney, myself, and from the moment that I became chairman and consistently, Gov. Romney has said that this is a non- starter, Barack Obama is born in Hawaii.”
But “State of the Union” host Candy Crowley pushed back and questioned Priebus on why Romney even brought up the birther issue with his quip.
“Well, first, that wasn’t what he was doing,” Priebus replied. “I mean, he is a Michigander. He is making the point we are ahead in Michigan. We’re doing well in these battleground states. And he’s making the point I’m from Michigan. I was born here. And you know what, have we really gotten to the point where we can’t have any levity at all in politics? I mean, we have gotten to a place in politics that is ridiculous. No one can say anything that is remotely humorous and, you know, the president makes jokes about this all of the time. He plays these, you know, he came out to correspondents dinner a year ago and I mean, come on.”