Newsweek is being attacked after they ran an opinion column by John Eastman, a law professor at Chapman University. "Some Questions for Kamala Harris About Eligibility," was the headline.
The opening of the story already speculates that Harris is somehow ineligible for the position because she's also somehow ineligible to be president.
"The fact that Senator Kamala Harris has just been named the vice presidential running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has some questioning her eligibility for the position," said the Chapman University professor. "The 12th Amendment provides that 'no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.' And Article II of the Constitution specifies that '[n]o person except a natural born citizen...shall be eligible to the office of President.' Her father was (and is) a Jamaican national, her mother was from India, and neither was a naturalized U.S. citizen at the time of Harris' birth in 1964. That, according to these commentators, makes her not a 'natural born citizen'—and therefore ineligible for the office of the president and, hence, ineligible for the office of the vice president."
The absurd claim would have prevented six presidents from taking office: Barack Obama, Andrew Jackson, James Buchanan, Chester A. Arthur, Woodrow Wilson, and Herbert Hoover. Trump's mother was also an immigrant that wasn't a naturalized citizen.
It's a campaign attempt that is remarkably similar to the conspiracy theories about former President Obama that President Donald Trump perpetuated over the years.
Harris was born in Oakland, California, so it's unclear if Trump will be asking for her birth certificate.
You can see some of the attacks below:
Bigots like this come out from under rocks when bigots like @realDonaldTrump are President. https://t.co/bRMsxAeRAg— Mark Pocan (@Mark Pocan) 1597272010.0
It begins! Reminder: Trump's mom was an immigrant...wonder why that didn't bother ole "Dr" Eastman. https://t.co/skomNOQ0kg— Chris Fettweis (@Chris Fettweis) 1597268760.0
Totally weird how these questions only get raised when it is a person of color on the ballot. https://t.co/fM8lToebc1— Matt A Lap (@Matt A Lap) 1597270926.0
And so it begins: Is the lady with the dark skin really an American? https://t.co/6C1rtjoD6b— Dr. "Despa"-Szto (@Dr. "Despa"-Szto) 1597271266.0
How long before Trump parrots the racist birtherism 2.0 in this story? https://t.co/4L4YM52m0G— Sawyer Hackett (@Sawyer Hackett) 1597268417.0
He got exactly one thing right: "I have no doubt that this significant [sic] challenge to Harris' constitutional el… https://t.co/KrJJ1k8LoM— Dr. Andrew Lazarus, Ph.D., sheltered-at-home (@Dr. Andrew Lazarus, Ph.D., sheltered-at-home) 1597270406.0
And the Birtherism begins… RT @DrJohnEastman: Is Kamala Harris eligible for the office of Vice President? Here’s… https://t.co/VmQ9jp7wAY— Teresa (@Teresa) 1597269947.0
