Obama Cracks Trump Birther Joke on 'Tonight Show': 'We Grew Up Together in Kenya

US President Barack Obama chats with host Jay Leno during a taping of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” October 24, 2012 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

President Obama sat down for another hard-hitting interview on Wednesday, this time with "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno (who at one point clapped for Obama because the president had "saved" Detroit). What did they cover? Donald Trump's much-maligned announcement, of course. And Obama used the opportunity to crack a birther joke.

When asked what Trump has against the president, Obama said it's something that goes back to their childhood days in Kenya.

“This all goes back to when we grew up together in Kenya,” he quipped. “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.”

Earlier Wednesday, Trump offered to donate $5 million to the president's charity of choice if he would release his college and passport records.

Wisecracks aside, Obama told Leno that he has never actually met Trump.

But the interview went beyond Trump. When Leno asked Obama if he was glad the presidential debates are over, the president responded, "You know, I was sort of getting the hang of it." Obama, whose performance in the first debate was widely panned, said he didn't do an effective job of energetically outlining the contrast of visions between him and Republican Mitt Romney.

Part of the problem with a debate, Obama said, is that it's not a natural way of communicating - having an argument with someone as you sit next to him.

"Well," Leno said, "you're married."

Obama shot back: "But the difference is, with Michelle, I just concede every point."

Additionally, the president also said he's very happy with Vice President Joe Biden (despite Biden's constant gaffes, it seems).

“I could not have a better vice president than Joe Biden,” he said.

There were more hard-hitting questions than that, though. Asked which team he would bet on in the World Series, the Detroit Tigers or the San Francisco Giants, Obama managed to get in a dig at Romney: "I will say, I've spent a lot of time in Detroit lately, and I didn't want to let go Detroit go bankrupt. So in this particular World Series, I might be a little partial."

You can watch some of the clips below:

You can watch the full interview in five parts over at NBC.

​The Associated Press contributed to this report.