Trump supporters wasted no time in claiming Kamala Harris is ineligible to be president, but they’re wrong

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Charlie Hunt, Boise State University

(THE CONVERSATION) You may have heard the rumor that Kamala Harris isn’t eligible to be president because neither of her parents was born in the United States and they had unclear citizenship status when Harris was born in Oakland, California, in 1964.

That’s the false claim that some Harris opponents have begun recirculating since she became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee for president following President Joe Biden’s decision to step aside on July 21, 2024. The claim originated in 2020, when she was chosen as Biden’s vice presidential running mate.

John Eastman, Trump’s former legal adviser who was indicted for allegedly interfering with the 2020 presidential election, originally circulated this claim. But mainstream legalscholars agree: There’s no truth to it.

The recycling of this falsehood offers an opportunity to dive into the actual facts about presidential eligibility, by...