Obama Jokes He's 'Relieved' Birther Rumors Have Been Put to Rest

WASHINGTON, D.C.— -- President Obama joked tonight that he's "relieved" by the latest developments in the "birther" controversy long promoted by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.

"I don't know about you guys, but I am so relieved the whole birther thing is over," Obama said to laughs at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner. "I mean, ISIL, North Korea, poverty, climate change, none of those things weighed on my mind like the validity of my birth certificate."

Trump had pressed for years the conspiracy theory that Obama was not a natural-born citizen and thus ineligible to serve as president, but Friday settled newly raised questions over his role by saying he believed Obama was born in the United States.

"And to think that with just 124 days to go, under the wire, we got that resolved," Obama said. "That's a boost for me in the home stretch. In other breaking news, the world is round, not flat."