Obama tweaks Trump with fake Lion King birth

May 1, 2011, 3:24 GMT

Washington - US President Barack Obama Saturday tweaked Donald Trump at the annual White House correspondents dinner Saturday night over the fuss made by the real estate mogul over his place of birth.

Trump, a possible Republican candidate in the 2010 elections, has relentlessly insisted that Obama was born in Kenya - not in the US state of Hawaii - and therefore was not legally in the White House.

Obama finally put the matter to rest earlier this week by releasing his original 'long form' birth certificate to the public to reinforce the veracity of the electronic one that's been available for years.

But the president decided Saturday night to have some fun at the expense of the mop-haired Trump, who was in the crowd, warning his audience that he was going to show his 'official birth video' as added proof of his actual birth.

'I warn you - no one has seen this footage in 50 years, not even me,' Obama quipped.

Then, on a huge screen at the cavernous Hilton banquet room came the opening scenes from the cartoon movie Lion King, showing baby Simba being born to his Kenyan Lion King father.

The audience erupted in laughter.

Just to make sure the cartoon excerpt would not be taken seriously by his conservative detractors, Obama added: 'I want to make clear to the Fox News table that was a joke. That was not my real birth video. That was a children's cartoon. Call Disney if you don't believe me. They have the original 'long form' version.'

Presidents often use the annual affair to make fun of themselves, and Obama was on a roll. He admitted his 'honeymoon' was over, but answered his critics who say he's arrogant.

'I've found a great self-help tool for this - my poll numbers,' Obama quipped.

He bemoaned that he had 'even let down my key constituency - movie stars.'

'Just the other day, Matt Damon ... said he was disappointed in my performance. Well, Matt, I just saw the 'Adjustment Bureau',' Obama said.

Obama also poked fun at another conservative Republican, Congresswoman Michele Bachman, who was in the crowd and whose home state of Minnesota happens to border on Canada.

'Michele Bachman ... is thinking about running for president, which is weird, because I hear she was born in Canada,' Obama said.

'Yes, Michele, this is how it starts, just letting you know.'

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