Perry: 'I Don't Know' if Obama's Birth Certificate Is Real

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry said he doesn't have a "definitive answer" as to whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States.

In an interview with Parade Magazine, the Texas governor said he has "no reason to think otherwise" that Obama wasn't born in the U.S., but admitted that he doesn't know for certain whether the long-form birth certificate released earlier this year is real.

When told he had seen the birth certificate, Perry responded, "I don't know, have I?" and said he recently had dinner with Donald Trump, who doesn't believe it's real.

Nevertheless, Perry called the topic a "distractive issue" that "doesn't matter" because Obama has been elected.

Parade's transcript of the discussion is below:

Governor, do you believe that President Barack Obama was born in the United States?

I have no reason to think otherwise.

That’s not a definitive, “Yes, I believe he”—

Well, I don’t have a definitive answer, because he’s never seen my birth certificate.

But you’ve seen his.

I don’t know. Have I?

You don’t believe what’s been released?

I don’t know. I had dinner with Donald Trump the other night.

And?

That came up.

And he said?

He doesn’t think it’s real.

And you said?

I don’t have any idea. It doesn’t matter. He’s the President of the United States. He’s elected. It’s a distractive issue.