A $5 million joke

In case you missed it, Donald Trump is still desperately trying to remain culturally relevant.

The Donald teased he would soon deliver a major October surprise about President Barack Obama that would roil the campaign.

What he actually delivered last Wednesday was, in a word, pathetic.
He struck a deal with the president.

“If Barack Obama opens up and gives his college records and applications, and if he gives his passport applications and records, I will give to a charity of his choice ... a check, immediately, for $5 million.”

The way Trump sensationalized his upcoming announcement made us anticipate something substantial — some unearthed evidence that the president is involved in a gay affair or proof he used to sell crack cocaine.

We would have even settled for nudes.

But, alas, we were tricked into watching a nearly three minute video of a jowly, toupeed chowderhead trying to string words into coherent sentences.

It’s sad egomaniacs like Trump can influence the political discourse simply because they are mega rich.

If you remember, Trump was the ringleader of the “birther” movement, which speculated Obama was not born in the United States and therefore is ineligible to serve as the president.

Trump has fond memories of his birther days, “I’m very honored to have gotten him to release his long form birth certificate — or whatever it may be.”

Credible conservative outlets and established Republican figures have rightly denounced Trump and the birther conspiracy theory.

Obama is wise to do the same. His campaign has not officially responded to, and thereby legitimized, Trump’s proposition, but the president has treated the Donald exactly for what he is — a joke.

Obama said on the Jay Leno show, “This all dates back to when we were growing up together in Kenya. We had constant run-ins on the soccer field. He wasn’t very good and resented it. When we finally moved to America, I thought it would be over.”

Trump, because he is Donald Trump, might have done his cause a disservice.

If he hadn’t have caused such a media firestorm teasing for this big announcement or perhaps had let a more credible person make the deal to the president, the Obama camp might have taken it more seriously.

Trump, however, is a caricature, and the American people do not take caricatures seriously.

This is unfortunate for the millions of Americans who have legitimate concerns about the president’s not-so-transparent past.

As the elected leader of 300 million free people, a man who campaigned on transparency, why won’t the president release his college transcripts?

What does he have to hide?

Unfortunately, these questions might never be answered if people like Trump continue to make a spectacle of the issue.