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While talking to CNN, Donald Trump said President Barack Obama himself wrote that he was born in Kenya. Is it true that the President's book said this?

When his publisher comes out with a statement from him made in the 1990s that he was born in Kenya and he was raised in Indonesia [...]

And all I know is last week somebody came out with a very strong statement saying that he stated himself that he was born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia. Now I didn't make that statement. That was made by I assume either the publisher or the President himself. And, that's the statement. That's a pretty hard statement to refute. That was a statement made prior to somebody knowing that he was going to be running for the presidency.

The Daily Trawler came out with an excerpt from a promotional booklet.

JasonR
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TheTechGuy
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2 Answers2

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No, it was never in his book, rather it was a promotional pamphlet circulated amongst other literary agents, which was not written by President Obama (nor was it approved, or even distributed to him). The person (Miriam Goderich) who wrote that particular promotional piece has admitted that it was a mistake.

"This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me--an agency assistant at the time," Goderich wrote in an emailed statement to Yahoo News. "There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."

The same article states (emphasis mine):

According to a promotional booklet produced by the agency, Acton & Dystel,

And the agent also states the same to this news agency. And they also state (emphasis mine):

for circulation within the publishing industry only

Even Breitbart (who doesn't buy into the birther nuttery) also states that the pamphlet was produced by the agency, and was not in President Obama's book:

Breitbart News has obtained a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency, Acton & Dystel, which touts Obama as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."

The booklet, which was distributed to "business colleagues" in the publishing industry, includes a brief biography of Obama among the biographies of eighty-nine other authors represented by Acton & Dystel.

Note the distinct assertions: produced by Acton & Dystel; distributed in the publishing industry; that this wasn't Obama's book, but rather a listing of 90 authors.

Now, I will give The Trump the benefit of some doubt, and he may just be mis-stating what he heard. However, his history of behaviour and bombastic (thanks Skava for reminding me of that word) style indicates this will become a revisionist position to Mr. Trump. Now that he has stated it, he will not retract from his position, no matter how wrong he may be.

Also related Is Barack Obama a natural born US citizen?

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Larian LeQuella
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    Understandably, this answer oversteps the question, and hence treads into duplicate territory. (The question is whether Obama's book makes the claim, not whether Donald Trump is generally right about this issue or a bloviating ignoramus.) – Oddthinking Jun 01 '12 at 03:37
  • I don't need proof of his birth certificate. I think the question here, is is fair to say, obama mentioned in his book he was born in Kenya. The answer seems to be yes. Not in a book though but in a pamphlet as far as I understand now. – TheTechGuy Jun 01 '12 at 12:11
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    @Believer no, the answer is NO. A _publicist_ said it, in a pamphlet. – Larian LeQuella Jun 01 '12 at 12:49
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    @Believer If you can read an answer that states clearly "Obama did NOT write that he was born in Kenya" and conclude that Obama wrote that he was born in Kenya, then you are beyond the help of rational people. – DJClayworth Jun 01 '12 at 13:02
  • When Obama approves it, then it is Obama not his publicist. Do not need to get me wrong, I am his supporter. But why should I close my eyes? – TheTechGuy Jun 01 '12 at 13:05
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    @Believer is anyone claiming that he "approved" the publicist pamphlet? Again, this was meant to be a pamphlet that was circulated amongst publishers, and I am quite sure that President Obama himself didn't see it, nor did he write it, or even "approve" it. Agents do all sorts of things to promote their clients, most without even the client's knowledge. – Larian LeQuella Jun 01 '12 at 13:19
  • @LarianLeQuella, that's all the question is about :) Need references for that – TheTechGuy Jun 01 '12 at 13:25
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    @Believer Both news reports state that it was written by an agent for internal use amongst publishers. Miriam Goderich wrote it. Acton & Dystel published and circulated it. What other references do you require? – Larian LeQuella Jun 01 '12 at 13:34
  • @LarianLeQuella, I would actually edit your answer and have proof of what you mentioned in comments. I would remove the image because it's already beeen answered in another question and I am not arguing his birth certificate. To me, Obama was higher authority than his publicist. If they did something, Obama is responsible for it. It is simple. – TheTechGuy Jun 01 '12 at 14:02
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    @Believer so if anyone ever makes a mistake while representing you, it's your fault? So Kathy Lee Gifford is somehow spilled the beans on the fact that Martin Short's wife is still alive somehow? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwCEoIrhboE This was done in 1991 when President Obama was just some young Harvard Grad who was trying to get books published... Your standard is strange to say the least. Miriam Goderich's own admission to the mistake isn't proof? – Larian LeQuella Jun 01 '12 at 14:34
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    @Believer NO WAY, it isn't as simple as that. The publicist did not ask for Obama's approval or permission before circulating the pamphlet, he did no personally write or approve the bio, which contained a simple mistake. – Sam I Am Jun 01 '12 at 15:21
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    @SamIAm I wouldn't call stating a wrong country of birth a small mistake, especially when the two countries are separated by an ocean – Ryathal Jun 01 '12 at 20:46
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    @ryathal, I said simple mistake, not small mistake. From my experience with the people who typically write these bios the level of fact checking is generally very minimum. Mistakes aren't uncommon. See also [Cowboy Bebop at his computer](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CowboyBebopAtHisComputer). – Sam I Am Jun 01 '12 at 20:58
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    @Ryathal for what it's worth, Ms Goderich could have looked for any Obama and turned up a record on the President's father and conflated the two. Heck, if you look up my name, you could easily think I was an Olympic Swimmer that also starred in Attack of the Killer Tomatoes... Mistakes are EASY to make, humans do it pretty much all the time. – Larian LeQuella Jun 01 '12 at 21:24
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    +1 for the announcement from the advertiser. That is the first evidence i have seen that would be impossible to fake. – Chad Jun 04 '12 at 13:00
  • @Ryathal, totally agree with you. This was not a *small* mistake. But well crowd here seems to be democratic :) – TheTechGuy Jun 04 '12 at 15:01
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    @Believer I know you are acknowledging it, but I want to make it crystal clear, SamIAm didn't say small, she said SIMPLE (as in easy to make). Too many people conflate the two. When you say `crowd here seems to be democratic` do you mean Democrat? One describes a form of government, while the other is a political party. And I'd like to see you back up that assertion. I for one am _not_ a Democrat or Republican. – Larian LeQuella Jun 04 '12 at 22:08
  • @LarianLeQuella, it is simple mistake but if his publicist can make such a mistake, we can't blame republicans. I meant democrats party here. BTW I edited your answer, removed reference to Birth certificate which was not asked in the question. – TheTechGuy Jun 06 '12 at 01:11
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    @Believer Consider this historic example of a simple (but not small) publishing mistake. When [Alfred Nobel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel)'s brother Ludvig died a French newspaper published a obituary for Alfred thinking it was Alfred who died. Alfred was so upset about the content of his own obituary, which condemned him for his invention of dynamite, that he modified his will to establish and fund the Nobel Prizes upon his death so his legacy would be more positive. – Sam I Am Jun 07 '12 at 01:02
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    @Believer I don't see anyone blaming Republicans for the mistake? Or do you mean we can't blame Republicans for being gullible or willing to accept any wild assertions about President Obama's birth? Then, yes we can, because they are being credulous. – Larian LeQuella Jun 07 '12 at 01:33
  • That Political Wire link unfortunately now gives me a "page not found." – paradisi Aug 02 '16 at 06:24
  • Sam I am didn’t Mark Twain cancel a newspaper subscription after they published his obituary? – gnasher729 Aug 15 '22 at 20:20
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As linked from the site you provided in the question, the Political Wire reports that the author of a promotional booklet that included a brief erroneous bio of Obama has explained:

You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more.

Note: This was a promotional booklet for his then-literary agent, Acton & Dystel. It is not part of his book of memoirs.

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