Douglas Olsen
A 1981 Columbia University student ID card purports to identify Barack Obama as a foreign student named Barry Soetoro. The ID card, which has been circulated online, is alleged evidence that Obama was not a US citizen and was therefore ineligible to become President of the United States. However, the ID card is a fake, according to fact-checking organisations including Reuters, Snopes, and PolitiFact.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Claim | Barack Obama attended Columbia University as a foreign student |
| Evidence | A 1981 Columbia University student ID card identifies Barack Obama as a foreign student named Barry Soetoro |
| Fact-check | False |
| Reasoning | The ID card pictured is an altered version of a Columbia University ID card issued to another student, Thomas Lugert, in 1998. Columbia University didn't use digital ID cards until 1996, 13 years after Obama graduated. The photograph on the ID is not of Obama as a college student but was taken several years later. |
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What You'll Learn
The ID card is fake
The claim that a Columbia University ID card proves Barack Obama was a foreign student is false. The image in question is a fake, and numerous sources have debunked the claim. Firstly, the ID card pictured is not a real Columbia University ID issued to Barack Obama in 1981; it is an altered version of a Columbia University ID card issued to another student, Thomas Lugert, in 1998. The digital ID card format depicted in the image was not introduced at Columbia until 1996, years after Obama's graduation.
Furthermore, the photograph on the ID card is not a picture of a 20-year-old Barack Obama from 1981; it was taken several years later, during or after his time at Harvard Law School (1988-1991). The image appears to be from the cover of a book about Obama's life, "Barack Obama: The Story" by David Maraniss. Additionally, Obama's ID would not have said "foreign student," as Columbia University does not label student IDs in this manner.
While there were rumours that Obama attended college under the name "Barry Soetoro," his Indonesian stepfather's last name, there are no records suggesting he ever used this alias while attending Columbia. In 1983, the university's weekly magazine published an essay written by Obama, with the byline "Barack Obama."
In conclusion, the ID card in question is a fake, and there is no evidence to support the claim that Barack Obama was a foreign student at Columbia University.
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It was altered from Thomas Lugert's ID
The image of the Columbia University ID card that claims to identify Barack Obama as a foreign student is a fake. The ID card is actually an altered version of a Columbia University ID card issued to another student, Thomas Lugert, in 1998. The word "student" on Lugert's ID has been changed to "foreign student" in the fake Obama ID. The photograph on the fake ID is not of Obama as a 20-year-old college student in 1981, but rather, it was taken several years later during his time at Harvard Law School (1988-1991). The digital ID card format seen on the fake Obama ID was also not introduced at Columbia until 1996.
The false image has been used to support conspiracy theories that Obama was not born in the US and was therefore ineligible to be president. In 2011, Obama published his long-form birth certificate to disprove these theories, which were promoted by Donald Trump and others. The name "Barry Soetoro" on the fake ID card reflects the surname of Obama's Indonesian stepfather, which may have been used to make him sound more foreign. However, there is no evidence that Obama used this name during his time at Columbia University.
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It uses a photo of Obama from years later
Several sources have debunked the claim that a Columbia University ID card shows Barack Obama was a foreign student. The ID card in question is not a real Columbia University ID issued to Barack Obama in 1981. It is an altered version of an ID card issued to another student in 1998. The photograph on the card is not a picture of a 20-year-old Barack Obama from 1981; it was likely taken several years later, during or shortly after his time at Harvard Law School (1988-1991). Some sources claim the photo was taken in 1999, when Obama was in his late 30s and a state senator in Illinois. This claim is supported by the fact that Columbia University did not start using digital ID cards until 1996—13 years after Obama graduated.
The ID card pictured identifies Obama as a foreign student named "Barry Soetoro". While there was a time when Obama used the last name "Soetoro", it was the name of his Indonesian stepfather, and he stopped using it when he moved back to Hawaii at age 10. There are no records to suggest Obama ever went by his childhood alias while attending Columbia. In 1983, the university's weekly magazine published an essay written by Obama, with the byline "Barack Obama".
The false claim that Obama was a foreign student at Columbia University is part of a broader conspiracy theory that he was not born in America and was therefore ineligible to be president. In 2011, Obama published his long-form birth certificate to prove that he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and rebut these conspiracy theories.
Despite the evidence presented by various fact-checking organizations, some individuals continue to spread misinformation about Obama's citizenship and education. This includes claims that Obama never attended Columbia University, as nobody remembers him from that time and he has not released his school records. However, Columbia University proudly claims Obama as a 1983 graduate, and there is documentation of him living near the campus during his junior and senior years. Additionally, an email received by FactCheck.org in 2010 stated that the writer knew Obama when he was at Columbia.
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Columbia University didn't use these IDs until the mid-1990s
Several sources have debunked the claim that a Columbia University ID card showed Barack Obama was a foreign student. Firstly, the image in question is not a real Columbia University ID issued to Barack Obama in 1981. It is an altered version of a Columbia University ID card issued to another student, Thomas Lugert, in 1998. Secondly, the digital ID card format in the image was not introduced at Columbia until 1996, and Obama graduated in 1983. The image in question is therefore a fake.
Columbia University spokesman Robert Hornsby confirmed the ID card was fake, stating: "We didn't even have such IDs then." Hornsby also pointed out that Columbia does not label student IDs with "foreign student". Additionally, there are no records to suggest that Obama ever went by his childhood alias, Barry Soetoro, while attending Columbia. In 1983, the university's weekly magazine published an essay written by Obama, with the byline "Barack Obama".
Some have questioned whether Obama attended Columbia, as his photograph does not appear in the school's yearbook, and he has declined requests to talk about his years at Columbia or provide school records. However, Columbia University proudly claims Obama as a 1983 graduate. The university magazine, Columbia College Today, profiled him as far back as 2005, after he was elected to the U.S. Senate. The New York Times wrote about Phil Boerner, who roomed with Obama during his first year at Columbia. The article included excerpts from the Columbia student directory, showing Obama's addresses during his junior and senior years.
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Obama stopped using his step-father's name aged 10
Several sources refute the claim that a Columbia University ID card shows Barack Obama was a foreign student. The ID card in question is said to identify Obama as a foreign student named "Barry Soetoro". However, this ID card is not a real Columbia University ID issued to Barack Obama in 1981; it is an altered version of a Columbia University ID card issued to another student, Thomas Lugert, in 1998. The pictured card couldn't have been issued to Obama in 1981, as the digital ID card format it uses wasn't introduced at Columbia until 1996. Furthermore, the photograph on the ID card is not a picture of a 20-year-old Barack Obama from 1981; it was taken several years later, during or shortly after his time at Harvard Law School (1988-1991).
Regarding Obama's name, he did use the name ""Barry" from ages six to ten while attending local Indonesian-language schools. "Soetoro" was the last name of Obama's Indonesian stepfather, Lolo Soetoro, and there was a time when Obama used this last name. However, it is unclear exactly when Obama stopped using his stepfather's name, and it is not explicitly stated that he stopped using it when he was 10 years old. Obama's biological father, Barack Obama Sr., visited him when he was about 10 years old, and this may have influenced his decision to stop using his stepfather's name.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the ID card is fake. The image is an altered version of a Columbia University ID card issued to another student, Thomas Lugert, in 1998. The digital ID card format wasn't introduced at Columbia until 1996, after Obama graduated.
The fake ID card identifies Barack Obama as "Barry Soetoro", which reflects the surname of his Indonesian stepfather.
Yes, there was a time when Obama used the last name "Soetoro". However, he stopped using his stepfather's last name when he was 10.
The ID card, if real, would supposedly demonstrate that Barack Obama was not a U.S. citizen and is therefore ineligible to hold the office of President of the United States.
Yes, there were conspiracy theories claiming that Obama received a Fulbright scholarship for foreign students while attending Occidental College, which would also prove that he is not a U.S. citizen. However, these claims are false and the story is a hoax.
