Newsweek apologizes for Kamala Harris birtherism op-ed

Activists such as Hilary Rosen tweeted out against Newsweek.

Aug 15, 2020

Presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris signs required documents for receiving the Democratic nomination for Vice President of the United States at the Hotel DuPont on August 14, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. Harris is the first Black woman and first person of Indian descent to be a presumptive nominee on a presidential ticket by a major party in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Newsweek has apologized for publishing and promoting a conspiracy theory regarding newly announced presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris.

Authored by John Eastman, a law professor at Chapman University, the article questioned whether or not Harris is really a natural-born citizen, a requirement to take office as either president or vice president.

The opinion editor at Newsweek, Josh Hammer, wrote that the op-ed, “was never intended to spark or to take part in the racist lie of birtherism, the conspiracy theory aimed at delegitimizing Barack Obama, but [they] should have recognized the potential, even probability, that that could happen.”

“We entirely failed to anticipate the ways in which the essay would be interpreted, distorted and weaponized,” Hammer continued. Although he voiced his regret, he did say that the post would remain on their site.

Both of Kamala Harris’s parents, Donald Harris and Shyamala Gopalan, are immigrants. They met and became citizens during the Civil Rights era, according to Oprah’s Magazine, The O.

It was bad enough when, as a private citizen, President Trump led the birtherism parade against Barack Obama. To now amplify, as President of the United States, a similar falsehood about Kamala Harris is even more abhorrent. https://t.co/yy4PkHuW7w
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 14, 2020

Donald Harris was born in Jamaica and came to the U.S. to complete his graduate degree. He eventually became an economics professor at Stanford University.

Gopalan was born in India and studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where she completed her Ph. D.

According to the U.S. Congress records, Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California.

Activists such as Hilary Rosen tweeted out against Newsweek, saying that certain outlets need to check their bias.

“Attention media: When you repeat stories or talk about #Trump crazy “birtherism” comments about #KamalaHarris, this is what we were talking about when we urged you to check yourselves about what you decide to cover and how you do it. #WeHaveHerBack”

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