To the editor:

With the release of President Obama’s long-form birth certificate, only one question remains: Will Donald Trump continue to garner popular support for his potential run for the Republican nomination?

In order to answer this question, it’s necessary to understand Trump’s appeal. Trump’s appeal isn’t really because he supported the “birther” movement. The reason people like Donald Trump is twofold. First, people think that if nonpoliticians are elected to office, they’ll be immune to the usual pressures in government. Second, businessmen like Trump seem to promise that through their superior business talent they will magically solve problems and save Americans from having to make hard choices.

That’s pie-in-the-sky thinking. The mess we’re in is not a product of a few reckless politicians. Our fundamental problem is that Americans want low taxes and lots of government services. If you look at the recent polls, most Americans think there should be no changes to Medicare and no broad increases in taxation. This is magical mathematics. There’s no way to make the budget work without doing at least one of these things — and the most logical solution would be a mixture of both.

By championing the “birther” movement, Mr. Trump has become a parody of himself. It’ll be difficult, but necessary to ignore any further outrageous claims by this celebrity. Focusing on President Obama’s citizenship wasn’t productive for this country. But let’s not forget that believing that our debt problems will disappear without reducing government spending and raising revenue hasn’t been either.