Obama proves he’s American, releasing long-form Hawaiian birth certificate

President Obama has released his long-form Hawaiian birth certificate, in a bid to end speculation about his American citizenship.

Obama said in a brief appearance before the cameras Wednesday morning that he decided to release the birth certificate because the country did not have time for the "distraction" and "silliness" of questions being persistently raised about where he was born.

He said the conspiracy theory over where he was born had eclipsed the debate on the budget, Politico wrote.

“We do not have time for this kind of silliness,” Obama told reporters. “I’ve got better stuff to do.”

Until now, the White House had stood by the president’s certificate of live birth, a health department document that attests to the existence of an actual birth certificate and is valid proof of citizenship, writes Fox News. 

Polls show large numbers of Republicans continue to doubt Obama is a natural born citizen eligible to be president, according to the Associated Press.

The story ran under the headline "‘Birther Strategy Backfires," a reference to efforts by real estate mogul Donald Trump, reportedly weighing GOP candidacy, to prove the conspiracy theory that Obama is not a U.S. citizen and therefore ineligible to hold office.

The full certificate can be viewed on the White House website.