False claims targeting Vice President Kamala Harris have resurfaced on social media following President Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and endorse her. These falsehoods, which have been circulating for years, focus on her citizenship status, racial identity, and political achievements.
One common false claim is that Harris is ineligible to run for office because her parents were not born in the United States. Despite these claims, Harris was born in Oakland, California, to Jamaican and Indian immigrants, which does not disqualify her from serving as vice president or president. This misinformation has been fueled by a false narrative that the Constitution does not grant citizenship to children of people born outside of the U.S., as promoted by individuals like pro-Trump lawyer John Eastman.
Another baseless doubt surrounding Harris is her racial identity. Some social media users falsely claim that Harris is lying about being Black, pointing to manipulated photos and out-of-context information to support their claims. However, the majority of Jamaica’s population has African heritage, as the British brought enslaved Africans to the island in the 18th century. Harris herself has addressed these false claims, stating that they are attempts to sow hate and division.
In addition to these false claims, manipulated audio and visual clips of Harris have been circulating online. These clips attempt to paint Harris as addled or incoherent, using edited videos and audio to misrepresent her speeches and statements. For example, a digitally altered video of Harris speaking at Howard University in 2023 went viral on TikTok, with millions of views. The platform has since removed the audio clip for violating its policies.
Other misleading content includes a photo that falsely associates Harris with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by superimposing his face on her husband’s. Additionally, a video of Harris describing her appearance for visually impaired individuals was taken out of context and shared by Elon Musk with a misleading caption. Disinformation researcher Nina Jankowicz advises users to be cautious when encountering outrageous narratives about Harris on social media, as they may be designed to provoke emotional responses and manipulate public opinion.
Overall, the resurgence of false claims targeting Vice President Kamala Harris underscores the ongoing challenges of combating misinformation and disinformation in the digital age. As the 2024 presidential race continues to unfold, it is crucial for the public to critically evaluate information and seek out reliable sources to avoid being misled by falsehoods and propaganda.
