Boehner on birthers: ‘It’s not my job to tell the American people what to think’

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Sunday that while he believes President Obama is an American citizen and a Christian, Americans have a right to think otherwise if they so choose.  

“It’s not my job to tell the American people what to think,” Boehner said on NBC’s “Meet The Press” when asked about a recent focus group of Iowa voters shown on Fox News during which several said they believe Obama is Muslim.

{mosads}”The state of Hawaii has said he was born there. That’s good enough for me,” Boehner said. “The president says he’s a Christian. I accept him at his word.” 

Boehner rejected the suggestion that he and other Republicans were not forcefully denouncing myths about the president’s citizenship and religion because it weakens Obama politically. 

“I’ve made clear what I think the facts are,” Boehner said. 

It was during the 2008 election that opponents began to circulate questions over President Obama’s citizenship and religion. Obama was born in Hawaii and is Christian.  

During this past week’s Conservative Political Action Conference, freshman Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) joked that he is indeed an American citizen and that he has the birth certificate to prove it. 

Asked about the comment Sunday, Boehner said, “The gentleman was trying to be funny, I would imagine.”