Chapter 2: Birther

6      “We’re talking about a woman named Marine Le Pen”  “Le Pen,” 60 Minutes, CBS, March 5, 2017,www.cbs.com/shows/video/W5gAaj5H4IwSI8AhN0pejoJlIb8UA25d/, 0:12–0:15.

6      “the candidate in France’s . . .” “Le Pen,” 60 Minutes,www.cbs.com/shows/video/W5gAaj5H4IwSI8AhN0pejoJlIb8UA25d/, 0:15–0:22.

6      “Shocked because the name Le Pen . . .” “Le Pen,” 60 Minutes,www.cbs.com/shows/video/W5gAaj5H4IwSI8AhN0pejoJlIb8UA25d/, 0:22–0:28.

6      for years been associated with anti-Black racism  In addition to Trump’s birtherism detailed in the paragraphs to follow, see Lisa W. Foderaro, “Angered by Attack, Trump Urges Return of the Death Penalty,” New York Times, May 1, 1989,www.nytimes.com/1989/05/01/nyregion/angered-by-attack-trump-urges-return-of-the-death-penalty.html; and Oliver Laughland, “Donald Trump and the Central Park Five: The Racially Charged Rise of a Demagogue,” The Guardian, February 17, 2016,www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/17/central-park-five-donald-trump-jogger-rape-case-new-york.

6      “show his birth certificate”  The View Archive, “Donald Trump (Aired: 03/23/2011),” YouTube, January 20, 2023,youtu.be/KMvYxMgD0pw?si=Z7NV3RjYtYK4cMS0, 24:10–24:15.


6      “ something on that birth certificate . . .” The View Archive, “Donald Trump (Aired: 03/23/2011),”youtu.be/KMvYxMgD0pw?si=Z7NV3RjYtYK4cMS0, 24:19–24:21.

6      “Oh my God”  The View Archive, “Donald Trump (Aired: 03/23/2011),”youtu.be/KMvYxMgD0pw?si=Z7NV3RjYtYK4cMS0, 24:18–24:19.

6      “Oh, that’s a terrible thing to say”  The View Archive, “Donald Trump (Aired: 03/23/2011),”youtu.be/KMvYxMgD0pw?si=Z7NV3RjYtYK4cMS0, 24:16–24:18.

7      hundreds of racist terror attacks  Associated Press, “Obama Election Spurs Race Threats, Crimes,” NBC News, November 15, 2008,www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27738018.

7      “a large subset of white people in this country . . .” Mark Potok quoted in Associated Press, “Obama Election Spurs Race Threats, Crimes,”www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27738018.

7      “race war” on the horizon “between . . .”  Thomas Robb quoted in “Thomas Robb,” Extremist Files, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), accessed July 10, 2025,www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/thomas-robb/.

7      “Our nation is ruined and . . . ”  Grant Griffin quoted in Associated Press, “Obama Election Spurs Race Threats, Crimes,”www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27738018.

7      ‘‘A Village in Kenya Is Missing Its Idiot’’  Quoted in Angie Maxwell, “How Southern Racism Found a Home in the Tea Party,” Vox, July 7, 2016,www.vox.com/2016/7/7/12118872/southern-racism-tea-party-trump.

7      “Africa conquers the White House”  Juergen Gansel quoted in Linton Weeks, “Obama’s Win Brings Racist Remarks From Europe,” NPR, November 13, 2008,www.npr.org/2008/11/13/96949439/obamas-win-brings-racist-remarks-from-europe.

7      destroy the “white identity”  Gansel quoted in Weeks, “Obama’s Win Brings Racist Remarks from Europe,”ww.npr.org/2008/11/13/96949439/obamas-win-brings-racist-remarks-from-europe.

7      “wouldn’t want the Western world . . .”  Klaus Emmerich quoted in Weeks, “Obama’s Win Brings Racist Remarks from Europe,”ww.npr.org/2008/11/13/96949439/obamas-win-brings-racist-remarks-from-europe.

7      “the end of the white man’s civilization”  Artur Górski quoted in Weeks, “Obama’s Win Brings Racist Remarks from Europe,”ww.npr.org/2008/11/13/96949439/obamas-win-brings-racist-remarks-from-europe.

7      “The United States, especially under the presidency of Barack Obama . . .”  Camus, You Will Not Replace Us!, 176. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/1091051149.

7–8    the “deep story,” which she defined as . . . Arlie Russell Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right (New York: New Press, 2018), 135. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010. 

8      feelings of . . . in Louisiana Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 135. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      read this deep story back to these research subjects Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 144-146. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      Alongside “others who are also white . . .” Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 136. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      “long line leading up a hill” Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 136. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      “waited a long time . . .” Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 136. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      “is moving backward” since “your income . . .”  Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 136. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      “people  cutting in line ahead of you!” Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 137. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      Black people, women, immigrants, and Muslims Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 137. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      taking your opportunities . . .  Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 137. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      “It’s not fair” Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 137. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      “. . . someone must be  helping . . . President Barack Hussein Obama. . .”  Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 139. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      “He feels extra sympathy for them . . .”  Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 139–140. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      doesn’t seem “proud of America” . . .Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 140. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      “story seems ‘fishy.’” How “did  he rise so high?”  Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land, 140, 137. Find the library book atsearch.worldcat.org/title/986603010.

8      “dog mess I’ve heard in ages!”  The View Archive, “Donald Trump (Aired: 03/23/2011),”youtu.be/KMvYxMgD0pw?si=Z7NV3RjYtYK4cMS0, 24:24–24:28.


8      “because he’s Black, is it?”  The View Archive, “Donald Trump (Aired: 03/23/2011),”youtu.be/KMvYxMgD0pw?si=Z7NV3RjYtYK4cMS0, 24:34–24:36.

8      “nothing to do with that”  The View Archive, “Donald Trump (Aired: 03/23/2011),”youtu.be/KMvYxMgD0pw?si=Z7NV3RjYtYK4cMS0, 24:37–24:38.

9      “never heard any White president…”  The View Archive, “Donald Trump (Aired: 03/23/2011),”youtu.be/KMvYxMgD0pw?si=Z7NV3RjYtYK4cMS0, 24:39–24:43.

9      released his long-form birth certificate Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President,” The White House, April 27, 2011,obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2011/04/27/remarks-president.

9      did not stop pushing his birther theory Sophie Tatum and Jim Acosta, “Report: Trump Continues to Question Obama’s Birth Certificate,” CNN, November 29, 2017,www.cnn.com/2017/11/28/politics/donald-trump-barack-obama-birth-certificate-nyt/index.html.

9      request the birth certificates of the White candidates Trump has also used birtherism to try to cast doubt on Republican candidates of color vying with him for the party’s nomination, including Ted Cruz in 2016 and Nikki Haley in 2024. See Vaughn Hillyard and Amanda Terkel, “Trump Promotes ‘Totally Baseless’ Birther Conspiracy Theory Against Nikki Haley,” NBC News, January 9, 2024,www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-promotes-baseless-birther-conspiracy-theory-nikki-haley-rcna133166.

9      “she doesn’t meet the requirements” U.S. Department of State, “August 13, 2020 | President Trump Holds a News Conference—5:30 p.m.,” YouTube, August 13, 2020,www.youtube.com/live/kR4Kh_l7ib8?si=DManCSox7fkUqstU, 1:12:39–1:12:43.

9      gave birth to Harris in California in 1964  “Trump Stokes ‘Birther’ Conspiracy Theory About Kamala Harris,” BBC News, August 14, 2020,www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53774289.

9      “she doesn’t qualify because . . .”  U.S. Department of State, “August 13, 2020  | President Trump Holds a News Conference - 5:30pm,”www.youtube.com/live/kR4Kh_l7ib8?si=DManCSox7fkUqstU, 1:13:01–1:13:04.

9      launched . . . exactly one month before  Joseph Bamat, “Far-Right Leader Le Pen Urges French Voters to Follow Brexit, Trump Example,” France 24, February 5, 2017,www.france24.com/en/20170205-france-marine-le-pen-far-right-speech-brexit-trump-immigration-lyon.

9      one of her campaign posters  See Jeanne Cavelier, “Le Pen-Macron: What Do Their Campaign Posters Reveal?” Le Monde, April 28, 2017,www.lemonde.fr/election-presidentielle-2017/article/2017/04/28/le-pen-macron-que-revelent-leurs-affiches-de-campagne_5119769_4854003.html.



10     Nowhere to be found For more on the Le Pen campaign’s attempts to portray a “soft” image of Marine in their materials, see Kim Willsher, “The Family Name and Party Logo Have Gone But Can Marine Le Pen Detoxify Her Brand?” The Guardian, January 7, 2017,www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/07/marine-le-pen-front-national-revamp-french-presidential-election.

10     “used to be on the fringes . . .”  “Le Pen,” 60 Minutes,www.cbs.com/shows/video/W5gAaj5H4IwSI8AhN0pejoJlIb8UA25d/, 0:29–0:54.