- President Donald Trump refused to state definitively that Kamala Harris is eligible to serve as vice president.
- But he added that the false birther conspiracy theory was "not something that we will be pursuing."
- Harris, an American citizen who was born in California, is eligible to run for the positions of both vice president and president.
- Trump referred to a widely denounced Newsweek op-ed that perpetuated the conspiracy theory, calling the author "a brilliant lawyer."
President Donald Trump on Saturday refused to definitively shoot down false claims that Kamala Harris is ineligible to serve as vice president, though he said he and his campaign will not pursue the baseless conspiracy theory.
"I just don't know about it, but it's not something that we will be pursuing," Trump told reporters at a news briefing at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey.
One reporter had asked him to state that Harris was eligible to run, but Trump did not do so.
He added that he hadn't deeply examined the matter, and had only read "one quick article" about it — likely referring to a Newsweek op-ed that was widely denounced and perceived as pushing birtherism.
The publication has since apologized that the op-ed was "being used by some as a tool to perpetuate racism and xenophobia."
Trump referred to the op-ed's author as "a brilliant lawyer," but said the false claim about Harris' ineligibility "doesn't bother me at all."
"I have not gone into it in great detail. If she's got a problem, you would've thought that she would've been vetted by Sleepy Joe," Trump said.
Harris, an American citizen who was born in California, is eligible for both the position of vice president and president. The Fourteenth Amendment mandates that anyone born in the US is an American citizen.
Next Story
I quit McKinsey after 1.5 years. I was making over $200k but my mental health was shattered.
Some Tesla factory workers realized they were laid off when security scanned their badges and sent them back on shuttles, sources say
I tutor the children of some of Dubai's richest people. One of them paid me $3,000 to do his homework.
Why are so many elite coaches moving to Western countries?
Global GDP to face a 19% decline by 2050 due to climate change, study projects
5 things to keep in mind before taking a personal loan
Markets face heavy fluctuations; settle lower taking downtrend to 4th day
Move over Bollywood, audio shows are starting to enter the coveted ‘100 Crores Club’
