Trump “Major Announcement” Turns Out to be $5M Charity Offer

"Frankly, it's a check I would very much want to write," Trump says

Donald Trump’s so-called October surprise is an offer to give away $5 million to charity if President Barack Obama releases his academic records and passport applications.

“If Barack Obama opens up and gives his college records and applications, and if he gives his passport applications and records, I will give to a charity of his choice,” Trump said in a YouTube video posted to his Facebook page on Wednesday.

The “Celebrity Apprentice” host and real estate mogul had fueled speculation about what he had in store after pledging earlier this week to deliver a "very big" announcement.

“Something very, very big concerning the president of the United States,” Trump said in talking up the planned stunt on “Fox & Friends.”

Trump, who is a prominent supporter of Mitt Romney, said in his video Wednesday that Obama would be doing a “great service for the country” if he accepted the deal. The video was titled "From the Desk of Donald Trump: Major Announcement." 

Trump kicked off the video by calling Obama the “least transparent president” in U.S. history, and said he was “honored” for having succeeded in getting Obama to release his long form birth certificate – “or whatever it may be.”

Politico noted that European betting house Paddy Power had been taking wagers on possible Trump announcements (“Obama is an Alien” had 250/1 odds). Later Wednesday afternoon, Paddy Power listed the odds of Obama accepting the deal by Trump's Oct. 31 deadline as 12/1.

Obama campaign senior adviser David Plouffe brushed off the offer in comments to reporters, NBC News reported.

"Direct questions to Boston because Donald Trump is Mitt Romney's biggest supporter so he owns everything he says," he said.
 

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