Birtherism Is Back: Newsweek Op-Ed Lies About Kamala Harris's Citizenship

By Susie Madrak — August 13, 2020

It's sad that in the past few years, the once-mighty Newsweek has become a fringe clickbait site -- and last night, they ran an op-ed implying Kamala Harris wasn't a U.S. citizen, written by a man who ran against her. (Something they didn't think was worth mentioning.)

Not only that: The same law professor previously wrote making the exact opposite argument in favor of Ted Cruz!

Hey @Newsweek why are you publishing racist birther lies pic.twitter.com/LjxEoKwWJN

— Fiddler (@cFidd) August 12, 2020

Former Newsweek staffer Kurt Eichenwald:

Not only did you print this birtherisn-on-steroids racist crap, @newsweek, but you failed to disclose this guy ran against Harris and lost AND wrote an article in national review saying exact opposite about Canadian born Ted Cruz. When did Newsweek become both racist AND stupid? https://t.co/2BbBRuVUyN

— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) August 13, 2020

Ah. THIS is how @Newsweek is publishing racist birther lies pic.twitter.com/dH6yvdEZf4

— Fiddler (@cFidd) August 13, 2020

"So before we so cavalierly accept Senator Harris' eligibility for the office of vice president, we should ask her a few questions about the status of her parents at the time of her birth."

No, the fuck we shouldn't. We should ask Newsweek why they are promoting birtherism? pic.twitter.com/VOLzGC1jGC

— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) August 13, 2020

Josh, the piece failed to mention that Eastman ran against Harris. Surely that's something @Newsweek readers deserved to know regardless of the op-ed's legal much-ridiculed analysis?

— Matthew Cooper (@mattizcoop) August 13, 2020

Eastman wrote an article for National Review that argued the exact opposite stance, in favor of Ted Cruz's eligibility to run for president. Of course Ted's a conservative white male, so TOTALLY different, right?

Newsweek makes me sick.

— McGrain v. Daugherty, 273 U.S. 135 (1927) (@Joseph_Joe_M) August 13, 2020

UPDATE: You know you've stepped in something when you immediately have to try and justify an Op-Ed with another Op-Ed.

Editor's Note: Eastman's Newsweek Column Has Nothing to Do With Racist Birtherism

Some of our readers reacted strongly to the oped we published by Dr. John Eastman, assuming it to be an attempt to ignite a racist conspiracy theory around Kamala Harris' candidacy. That is entirely inaccurate. Here: https://t.co/eRjx3OFI7X

— NancyCooper (@NancyCooperNYC) August 13, 2020

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