{"id":52,"date":"2024-09-30T22:59:52","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T22:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dequiraparker.com\/?p=52"},"modified":"2026-04-30T23:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T23:58:11","slug":"the-birtherism-conspiracy-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dequiraparker.com\/?p=52","title":{"rendered":"The Birtherism Conspiracy: Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Birtherism is based on the idea that former president, Barack Obama, is not a \u201cnatural born citizen.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Obama was born in Hawaii, however if the theory came to be true, this would mean that he would not be eligible to become the president. Both of Obama\u2019s presidential campaigns were riddled with nonstop rumors and conspiracies surrounding both his personal and work life. More specifically, whether he was born on American soil or not. The birtherism theory reached its peak once former president Donald Trump made public comments doubting Obama\u2019s citizenship, in which an intense amount of political partisanship followed. <\/span><\/p>\n

What made the rise of the \u201cbirthers\u201d so controversial was the fact that all of the claims were backed by baseless theories rather than factual information. All in an attempt to prevent Obama from running for president.<\/span><\/p>\n

The origin:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Questions surrounding Barack Obama\u2019s \u201cAmerican identity\u201d began to surface in 2004. <\/span>Perennial Illinois political candidate and serial litigant Andy Martin<\/span> claimed that Obama was a Muslim<\/span>. Other theories claimed that he had been educated in a madrassa in Indonesia from a young age.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, in the spring of 2008, began the birtherism allegations. During this time, Obama and Hillary Clinton were battling in the Democratic parties in which Obama would go on to win his party’s nomination. Prior to Clinton endorsing Obama, some of her supporters started to circulate an anonymous email that sparked rumors about his birthplace. The email alleged that he was born in Kenya. Multiple theories involving his and his parent\u2019s citizenship continued to arise.<\/span><\/p>\n

In August 2008, Democratic activist and supporter of Clinton, Philip Berg, filed suit in federal court claiming: \u201cObama carries multiple citizenships and is ineligible to run for President of the United States. United States Constitution, Article II, Section 1.\u201d This, and multiple other lawsuits from political figures filed against Obama and his eligibility to serve as president were all dismissed for being \u201c<\/span>frivolous and not worthy of discussion<\/span><\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no true originator to the birtherism theory.<\/span><\/p>\n

Propaganda used to advance the Birtherism theory:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After Barack Obama\u2019s first election as president, birtherism allegations stayed afloat throughout his entire term. In March 2011, the birther controversy reached an all time high due to one man: Donald Trump.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview with the \u201cToday\u201d show, Trump stated that he has some “real doubts\u201d regarding whether Obama has a U.S birth certificate or not. Trump would double down on these claims in multiple interviews after this. He later announced that he was sending a team of private investigators to Hawaii in an attempt to uncover the truth, he even \u201c<\/span>promised to donate $5m to charity if anyone could convince him Mr. Obama was born on US soil<\/span><\/a>.\u201d<\/span> A prime example of the “bribery<\/a>” persuasion technique.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trump continued with the birtherism claims for years, even after Obama was re-elected:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

An ‘extremely credible source’ has called my office and told me that @BarackObama<\/a>‘s birth certificate is a fraud.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 6, 2012<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n