'Birtherism' lies about Kamala Harris are more widespread than those Obama faced: report

Right-wing lies about Kamala Harris being ineligible to serve as vice president or president have grown larger than the similar conspiracy theory against Barack Obama, that was prominently and falsely pushed by Donald Trump.

"Toxic misinformation has continued reaching new heights in 2020. One sign of that? 'Birtherism' misinformation about Senator Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, now exceeds that about President Barack Obama at its peak in 2017, according to a new analysis," The New York Timesreported Tuesday.

"Lies that Ms. Harris was not born American (she was) and is therefore not eligible for the vice presidency spiked last month in the week after Joseph R. Biden Jr. announced her as his running mate, according to Zignal Labs, a media insights company. Mentions of the falsehood soared to 103,400 that week across social media and TV broadcasts," the newspaper reported. "That was higher than the volume of birtherism misinformation about Mr. Obama in the week after President Trump renewed questions about his predecessor’s birthplace in 2017, Zignal Labs said. Those mentions rose to 98,100 that week."

Harris was born in 1964 in Oakland, California.

"Birtherism misinformation about Ms. Harris has become the fifth-highest election misinformation topic by volume since January, according to Zignal Labs. The topics that have surpassed it were falsehoods about voting by mail; Bill and Hillary Clinton; George Soros, the billionaire investor and Democratic donor; and vaccines," the newspaper added.