The full tape transcription makes clear that this phone conversation has not been represented accurately. There never was a statement by Sarah Obama at any point in this phone call saying or intending to say that Barack Obama Jr. was born in Kenya. Sarah Obama herself said that Obama was born in Hawaii and never said differently. There was a confusion over the meaning of where Mrs. Obama was “present” when Obama was born in Hawaii, but not over whether Obama was born in Hawaii.

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE (to McRae): No! Obama was not born in Mombasa! He was born in America!

MCRAE: Wh-whereabouts, whereabouts was he born? I, I thought he was born in Kenya.

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE: No he was born in America, not in Mombasa.

MCRAE: OK. Do you know whereabouts he was born?

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE: (Pause.) Huh?

MCRAE: Do you know where he was born? I thought he was born in Kenya. I was gonna go by and see where he was born.

(two male voices in background in foreign language speaking at the same time. Mrs. Obama or another woman in background.)

VOICE (background): It was Hawaii.

VOICE OF MRS. OBAMA OR ANOTHER WOMAN (background): Hawaii.

BROTHER TOM (background): Hawaii, yeah?

VOICE OF MRS. OBAMA OR ANOTHER WOMAN (background): Yeah.

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE (background): Yes.

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE (to McRae): Sir, she says he was born in Hawaii.

MCRAE: OK.

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE: Yeah, in 1960 this was Hawaii, where his father, his father was also marrying there. This was Hawaii.

MCRAE: OK.

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE: Yeah.

MCRAE: Was, was, was Mrs. Obama, was sh--was she present? Was, was Mrs. Obama, see I thought you said she was present. Was she, was, was she, was she able to see him being, being born in, in Hawaii?

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE: (pause, silence) Hoh? (pause) Uh, yeah would you please pronounce?

MCRAE: OK I’m sorry. I, I thought she said she was present when he was born. I was—

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE (sounding exasperated): No, no! The, the woman was not present. She was uh not, a what--you see, she was here in Kenya, and Obama was born in America. That is, that’s obvious.

MCRAE: OK.

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE: Because, because the grandmother was married here in Kenya, and Obama was born in America, oh yeah, so his son, the little Obama, was marrying, was marrying, in America, in United States.

MCRAE: Oh, OK, fine. I mean, I--I just, I misunderstood what she was saying. I thought you said she was present when he was born.

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE: No, not present there. The present with me here was tonight. Not present so she can leave. No she was here in Kenya while he, uh, her son, the little Obama, was marrying in America. And, uh, he be present if it--

WOMAN'S VOICE (background): It was in Hawaii.

TRANSLATOR OGOMBE: --was in America there, why are they for, they go, they go, they go to some place, then the present isn't here sir, he was born there in America.

MCRAE: OK. Well tell, tell her I would like to come by and see her when I am there in December. I would love to, uh, meet her personally and pray with her.