On the one hand, Trump declaring Obama was born in the U.S.A. is in keeping with the month-long effort to semi-normalize his candidacy. On the other, the roll-out, with Trump refusing to say in recent days that he accepts that Obama was born here in order to build “suspense” ahead of his announcement today, reflected the old Trump any-publicity-is-good-publicity ethic. This axiom has held true in his business career, but can be very problematic in a general-election campaign, as Trump learned (or should have) during his July and August swoon. Trump did get more attention for his event today touting his Washington property and endorsements from vets, but at the price of stoking a Birther discussion in the media that will presumably run through Sunday.