Newsweek has apologized for an op-ed that questioned Sen. Kamala Harris’ U.S. citizenship and her eligibility to be Joe Biden’s running mate, a false and racist conspiracy theory which President Trump has not dismissed. (New York Post / AP)
The essay, written by John Eastman, professor of law at Chapman University, raised the legal question of whether Harris, who was born in Oakland, was really a natural-born citizen, a requirement to hold the office of president or vice president. (Deadline)
Friday, the editors wrote, “This op-ed is being used by some as a tool to perpetuate racism and xenophobia. We apologize,” and went on to say that “We entirely failed to anticipate the ways in which the essay would be interpreted, distorted and weaponized.” But they resisted demands to retract. (Mediaite)
The birther conspiracy was largely peddled by conservatives, including most prominently by President Trump. Last week, Trump told reporters that he’d heard somewhere that Harris was ineligible to be chosen as vice present, giving some credence to the false conspiracy. (Variety)