birtherism
Citizenship denial movement
Birtherism is the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not born in the United States and was therefore ineligible to serve as president.
The claim, promoted heavily by Donald Trump before his 2016 campaign, persisted despite Obama's release of his birth certificate.
A birther is someone who holds this belief.
The term now extends to similar citizenship-based attacks on other political figures.
Prejudice based on ethnicity
- xenophobiaHatred of outsiders
- nativismPreference for native-born citizens
- otheringViewing as fundamentally different
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
discrimination · bigotry · intolerance · fearmongering · scapegoating · anti-immigrant · exclusion · stereotyping
Formal written attestation
- long-formUnabridged in presentation
- KenyaEast African country, capital Nairobi
- HawaiiPacific island state
- HonoluluHawaii's largest city
birthplace · citizenship · eligibility · presidency · Barack · newspaper · announcement · archives
Deliberate deception for effect
- forgeryCreating fraudulent imitations
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- debunkedExposed as fraudulent
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
deception · cover-up · theory · speculation · skepticism · doubt · rumor · questioning
Separation into opposing extremes
- right-wingPolitically conservative faction
- conservatismPreference for existing institutions
- populismPolitics favoring ordinary citizens
- nationalismDevotion to one's country
factionalism · tribalism · electorate · grassroots · talking-point · dogwhistle · rallies · base
racism
Prejudice based on ethnicity
- xenophobiaHatred of outsiders
- nativismPreference for native-born citizens
- otheringViewing as fundamentally different
prejudice · discrimination · bigotry · intolerance · fearmongering · scapegoating · anti-immigrant · exclusion · stereotyping · racialism
certificate
Formal written attestation
- long-formUnabridged in presentation
- KenyaEast African country, capital Nairobi
- HawaiiPacific island state
Honolulu · birthplace · citizenship · eligibility · presidency · Barack · newspaper · announcement · archives · litigation
hoax
Deliberate deception for effect
- forgeryCreating fraudulent imitations
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- debunkedExposed as fraudulent
falsehood · deception · cover-up · theory · speculation · skepticism · doubt · rumor · questioning · discredit
polarization
Separation into opposing extremes
- right-wingPolitically conservative faction
- conservatismPreference for existing institutions
- populismPolitics favoring ordinary citizens
nationalism · factionalism · tribalism · electorate · grassroots · talking-point · dogwhistle · rallies · base · opposition
birtherismevidence-based reasoning
Logic anchored to facts
fact-checking · investigative journalism · intellectual honesty · empiricism · scientific method
birtherismloyal opposition
Principled dissent within system
civil discourse · bipartisanship · democratic norms · concession
birth, birther, birthers, borne, bearing, bearer, bearers, firstborn