President Donald Trump said Thursday he had heard Democratic vice-presidential running mate Kamala Harris was not eligible to serve, stoking a false claim echoing …
President Donald Trump said Thursday he had heard Democratic vice-presidential running mate Kamala Harris was not eligible to serve, stoking a false claim echoing the baseless « birther » theory he promoted about Barack Obama. At a White House news conference, Trump was asked about « claims circulating on social media » that Harris was not eligible and whether he could say she met the legal requirements for vice president. « I heard it today that she doesn’t meet the requirements. And, by the way, the lawyer that wrote that piece is a very highly qualified, very talented lawyer. I have no idea if that’s right, » Trump said. « I would have assumed the Democrats would have checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president, » he said. « But that’s a very serious — you’re saying that — they’re saying that she doesn’t qualify because she wasn’t born in this country. » The reporter replied that Harris was born in the United States but her parents might not have been permanent residents at the time.
