Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine found himself in a heated exchange with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday over questions about the role Sidney Blumenthal, a long-time Clinton confidant, may have played in spreading the President Obama birther conspiracy in 2008.
Blumenthal’s involvement in the birther movement resurfaced this week after James Asher, former editor of McClatchy’s Washington bureau, alleged in a tweet on Friday that he was approached by the Clinton ally in 2008 and asked to investigate the president’s place of birth.
“If it’s true, if there is evidence that Sidney Blumenthal did push the birther lie, should Hillary Clinton disassociate herself from Blumenthal and should she pledge he will not work in her administration?” Tapper asked Kaine, who tried repeatedly during the interview to shift the focus to Donald Trump.
“I have no reason to believe that’s true, Jake,” Kaine responded. “But again, Sidney Blumenthal isn’t running for president, Donald Trump is. And whatever Sidney Blumenthal thought in 2008, by 2011 it was absolutely crystal clear that President Obama was a citizen.”
Watch the full exchange in the video above.
