FACT FOCUS: A look at false claims around Kamala Harris and her campaign for the White House

## Vice President Kamala Harris' Campaign for the White House Marred by False Claims and Conspiracy Theories

The announcement of Vice President Kamala Harris' bid for the Democratic nomination for president has sparked a wave of false claims and conspiracy theories about her eligibility and background. Some of these claims emerged years ago, while others have only surfaced recently, following President Joe Biden's decision not to seek re-election. Let's examine the facts behind some of these assertions:

### Claim: Kamala Harris is not an American citizen and is ineligible to be commander-in-chief

This claim is completely false. Kamala Harris is a natural-born citizen of the United States, born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, as evidenced by her birth certificate obtained by The Associated Press. Her mother, a cancer researcher from India, and her father, an economist from Jamaica, met as graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley. According to the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, anyone born on U.S. soil is considered a natural-born citizen and is eligible to serve as vice president or president. There is no legitimate debate about Harris' eligibility, as confirmed by Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School. However, social media posts claiming otherwise have gone viral since Biden's announcement.

### Claim: Kamala Harris is not Black

This claim is false. Kamala Harris is both Black and Indian. Her father, Donald Harris, is a Black man from Jamaica, and her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born in southern India. Harris has publicly identified with the heritage of both her parents for many years, as detailed in her autobiography, "The Truths We Hold: An American Journey." Despite the evidence, social media users continue to spread erroneous claims about her race, including posts suggesting that she pretends to be Black to fulfill a "Democrat DEI quota."

### Claim: Kamala Harris' political career was launched through an affair with a married man, California politician Willie Brown

This claim lacks important context. While it is true that Harris dated Willie Brown, a former mayor of San Francisco and speaker of the California State Assembly, he was separated from his wife at the time. Brown himself has confirmed the relationship, stating that he supported Harris' first campaign for San Francisco district attorney, as he has done for many other California politicians. Harris has been married to Doug Emhoff since 2014. Critics, including Fox News personality Tomi Lahren, have used this past relationship to question Harris' qualifications and spread negative narratives.

### Claim: Kamala Harris was television host Montel Williams' "side piece"

This claim is false and misleading. A clip from Inside Edition showing Montel Williams holding hands with Harris and another woman is being misrepresented. The woman in the clip is Williams' daughter, Ashley Williams, a former marine. Montel Williams dated Harris briefly in the early 2000s, and he has confirmed this relationship. Social media users spreading this claim are falsely suggesting that Harris was involved with a married man, when in fact, Williams was separated from his wife at the time.

### Claim: Kamala Harris promised to inflict the "vengeance of a nation" on Trump supporters

This claim is based on a fabricated quote attributed to Harris that first surfaced in 2019. In the quote, Harris supposedly threatens Trump supporters with retribution if Trump loses the 2020 election. This quote has been shared widely on social media, but it originated from a satirical article and was never actually said by Harris.

### Claim: Kamala Harris made incoherent remarks in a speech at Howard University

This claim is based on an altered video footage from a 2023 reproductive rights rally at Howard University, where Harris' remarks were criticized as a "word salad." The altered video includes a fabricated statement, "Today is today. And yesterday was today yesterday. Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. So live today, so the future today will be as the past today as it is tomorrow," which Harris never said. The White House transcript of her speech does not include this statement, confirming that the video has been manipulated.

In conclusion, Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign for the White House has been the target of numerous false claims and conspiracy theories. It is important for voters to fact-check information and rely on credible sources to make informed decisions.