Trump reportedly can't let go of the Obama birth certificate conspiracy

White House

President Donald Trump.

• President Donald Trump is reportedly reviving a controversial crusade that thrust him into the political spotlight. He is again questioning the authenticity of President Barack Obama's birth certificate.
• At least one senator who listened to Trump raise doubts says that he had a hard time letting go of the conspiracy.

In the midst of a growing number of women coming forward alleging sexual misconduct from prominent political figures, President Donald Trump has reportedly questioned his own scandals, and is reviving the conspiracy theory that thrust him into a political spotlight.

Speaking to senators and advisers in private, Trump reportedly brought up his doubts about the legitimacy of President Barack Obama's birth certificate, according to a New York Times report published Tuesday. The Obama birth certificate question is a conspiracy theory Trump has floated since long before his 2016 presidential campaign.

After questioning Obama's citizenship for several months during the campaign, Trump appeared to finally put the topic to rest in September 2016 by saying "Obama was born in the United States, period."

Trump also went a step further, blaming his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton for allegedly spreading the birther theory: "Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy," Trump said at the time. "I finished it. I finished it. You know what I mean."

But according to at least one lawmaker in The Times' report, the subject is all but dead. One senator who listened to Trump rekindle the topic appeared amused, saying that Trump had difficulty in letting go of his previous assertions.

Trump's own staff have also been found to prod lawmakers in asking questions to steer him towards more suitable topics for discussion, according to The Times.

In addition to questioning Obama's birth certificate, Trump has floated a verifiably false theory that he lost the popular vote during the 2016 presidential election, due to widespread voter fraud, The Times reported.

"It's dangerous to democracy," Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, said. "You've got to have shared facts."