Donald Trump released his official birth certificate to ABC News on Tuesday, the network reports.
The document, issued by the New York City Department of Health, surfaces one day after Trump provided what was described as his official birth certificate to Newsmax. That document, however, turned out to be a "certificate of live birth," likely given to his family by the New York hospital where he was born, not his actual "birth certificate."
An image of the document released by Trump on Tuesday and posted on the ABC News website indicates the potential presidential candidate was born at the Jamaica Hospital in New York on June 14, 1946. The same information was featured on the form relayed by Newsmax one day earlier.
While the difference between the documents may seem trivial to some and simply a matter of technicalities, a Trump staffer explained in an e-mail to ABC News that there is a clear distinction between the two. Michael Falcone reports:
"A 'birth certificate' and a 'certificate of live birth' are in no way the same thing, even though in some cases they use some of the same words," wrote Trump staffer Thuy Colayco in a message to ABC News. "One officially confirms and records a newborn child's identity and details of his or her birth, while the other only confirms that someone reported the birth of a child. Also, a 'certificate of live birth' is very easy to get because the standards are much lower, while a 'birth certificate' is only gotten through a long and detailed process wherein identity must be proved beyond any doubt. If you had only a certificate of live birth, you would not be able to get a proper passport from the Post Office or a driver's license from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Therefore, there is very significant difference between a 'certificate of live birth' and a 'birth certificate' and one should never be confused with the other."
In releasing his birth records to Newsmax on Monday, Trump called on President Barack Obama to do the same. The billionaire and potential presidential candidate has sparked controversy in recent weeks by questioning whether the president was born in the United States.
"It took me one hour to get my birth certificate," Trump said of what now appears to be his "certificate of live birth." "It's inconceivable that, after four years of questioning, the president still hasn't produced his birth certificate. I'm just asking President Obama to show the public his birth certificate. Why's he making an issue out of this?"
Politico's Ben Smith noted on Monday:
As I wrote earlier, an official copy of Obama's birth certificate -- the same thing Trump would have to prove his own birth -- has been available and online for more than three years.
Trump questioned whether the president was born in the United States during a phone interview on "Fox and Friends" earlier this week. "He could have been born outside of this country," he said before asking, "Why can't he produce a birth certificate?"
Trump said during the segment that the issue of the president's birthplace has him "really concerned."