birther

American  

[bur-ther] / ˈbɜr θər /

noun

1. a person who claims that the presidency of Barack Obama was unconstitutional, citing a belief that he was not born in the United States, or denying the authenticity of his birth certificate.

2. a person who claims that a former or current U.S. president or vice president, or a candidate for either office, was not born in the United States, questioning that person’s eligibility to hold the office.

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Other Word Forms

• birtherism noun

Etymology

Origin of birther

First recorded in 2005–10; birth ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

All of this took on the birther issue directly, deflating what Trump hoped might be his signature talking point for the 2012 election cycle.

From Salon

She tried to smear us saying we supported the Birther conspiracy that Obama was born in Kenya but all we posted was a tweet by Barack's brother Malik with a birth certificate from Kenya.

From Salon

“I love to produce, I really enjoy it. I think I’m good at being given a scene and saying, ‘Oh, let me rewrite it,’ but I don’t think I’m a good birther of ideas.

From Los Angeles Times

In the quarter-century since Gingrich’s dubious revolution, congressional comportment has been defined steadily downward — from Trump’s bogus birther claims about Barack Obama to South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson’s disrespectful “You lie!” outburst during Obama’s first address to a joint session of Congress.

From Washington Post

Back in October, far-right Republican Kris Kobach — Kansas' former secretary of state and a "birther" who promoted the racist conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama wasn't really born in the U.S. — promoted a device he claimed would fight COVID-19.

From Salon