No, a college ID does not show Barack Obama was a foreign student at Columbia University

CPT Ahmed Faried — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 15:41:57 -0500

Before this inevitably makes its way here through some individuals who will believe it I figured I'd pre-empt it.

No, a college ID does not show Barack Obama was a foreign student at Columbia University

Other Internet debunkers have looked at this before (Snopes, for one), but we wanted to take our own look.

It may not surprise you that it’s a sham.

Sorting out Soetoro

There was a time when Obama used the last name "Soetoro." Obama used Soetoro, the last name of his stepfather, while he was growing up in Indonesia. At age 10, Obama moved back to Hawaii, his birthplace, and stopped using that last name.

After two years at Occidental College in California, 20-year-old Barack Obama transferred to Columbia University in New York in 1981.

There are no records that suggest Obama ever went by his childhood alias while attending Columbia. In 1983, the university’s weekly magazine published an essay written by Obama. The byline reads "Barack Obama."

ID issues

Whoever took the time to make this image apparently didn’t take the extra time to change the number on the card. After the card made the initial rounds, Snopes revealed the card number belonged to another student, who appears to be caught up in this simply because he posted his card to the web in 1998.

The picture of Obama on the fake ID is definitely not of the president as a young college student. It looks like the photo was taken in 1999, when Obama was in his late 30s and a state senator in Illinois.

What’s more convincing is Columbia University didn’t even start using digital ID cards until 1996 — 13 years after Obama graduated.

"This is a fake," said Roger Hornsby, a spokesman for the university, to PolitiFact. "We didn't even have such IDs then."

Finally, Obama’s ID would not have said "foreign student," and not just because Obama was born in Hawaii. Hornsby said Columbia doesn’t even label student IDs like that.

Our ruling

A Facebook post makes ridiculous claims about a Columbia University ID that shows Obama was a foreign student who went by the alias "Barry Soetoro."

The post wants you to believe Obama isn’t really an American citizen. But the ID, and the birther narrative behind it, is not valid.

Obama stopped using his stepfather’s last name when he was 10. Columbia University didn’t even start using these types of IDs until the mid 1990s, long after Obama graduated.

The ID is a pretty bad Photoshop job. We rate the claim Pants on Fire!

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/dec/09/facebook-posts/facebook-posts-still-claim-obama-wasnt-born-us/

Response by SGT David T. made Dec 10 at 2015 3:45 PM

SGT David T. — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 15:45:26 -0500

The pic you posted looks photoshopped (poorly) to me.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Dec 10 at 2015 3:47 PM

SN Greg Wright — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 15:47:57 -0500

CPT Ahmed Faried I don't like Obama, but even I don't believe this. I've never been a proponent of the birther theories.

Response by SGT Kristin Wiley made Dec 10 at 2015 3:48 PM

SGT Kristin Wiley — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 15:48:09 -0500

Based on the evidence you presented, it's more than likely the ID is fake. However, that neither proves nor disproves that Barack Obama attended as a foreign student. You presented no credible evidence that he was enrolled in Colombia University as either a foreign or domestic student.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Dec 10 at 2015 4:00 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 16:00:30 -0500

CPT Ahmed Faried Anything can be forged nowadays. The real question is, why is information on Obama's background so limited? That is new for American politicians.

Response by MSgt James Mullis made Dec 10 at 2015 4:06 PM

MSgt James Mullis — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 16:06:36 -0500

Of course it's a sham. But to quote Hillary Clinton, "What difference, at this point, does it make?" He's the President and soon enough he will be the former President and running his own Billion Dollar foundation, just like his predecessors.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Dec 10 at 2015 4:07 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 16:07:50 -0500

Did you see this?

A literary agent’s promotional brochure from two decades ago declares Barack Obama was “born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii”

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2015 4:13 PM

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 16:13:42 -0500

I just have one question. If bush's college transcripts were made available to the general public, why can't BO's? There is one way to defeat the birther issue, produce the records and put the conspiracy theory out to pasture.

Executive Order 13489 -- Presidential Records

Response by SGT Jerrold Pesz made Dec 10 at 2015 4:43 PM

SGT Jerrold Pesz — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 16:43:20 -0500

Democrats brought this on themselves by questioning John McCain's eligibility because he was born on a US military base in the Panama Canal Zone.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Dec 10 at 2015 5:14 PM

CPT Pedro Meza — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 17:14:55 -0500

Yet, Rafael Edward Cruz, aka Ted Cruz born in Canada is running for the presidency. Now that is funny that no one talks about that.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2015 6:58 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 18:58:05 -0500

i am tired of the Obama is a foreign born guy. It doesn't matter he will go down in history as one of the worst presidents.

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Dec 11 at 2015 12:34 PM

Sgt Kelli Mays — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 12:34:12 -0500

So where is his real college ID? Why didn't he release his transcripts? Why did it take Years for him to release his birth certificate??? TO me, anyone who is going to hide something...NOT RELEASE it....doesn't want to share it....IS HIDING SOMETHING....and though he finally produced his birth certificate, why didn't the hospital have it?
Name ONE OTHER PRESIDENT or VICE PRESIDENT who did what Obama did. Name one who didn't readily release any documents or information asked of him!

Response by SSG Robert Webster made Dec 11 at 2015 7:57 PM

SSG Robert Webster — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 19:57:46 -0500

First question I have - Why even bring this up at this late date? This ID has been proven a fake so long ago.
Now, I am not a "Birther" by any stretch of the imagination, but there are a number of items that most people do not know or understand, that can led someone to believe that I am one.
Here is the issue - Technically President Obama at birth had dual citizenship in accordance with the law at the time of his birth. He was a US Citizen by virtue of his mother no matter where he was born; and a British subject by virtue of his father a Kenyan of British East Africa.
Now there is no US requirement to relinquish dual citizenship, but having it can cause problems as noted through information as published by US Government sites and publications.
With this in mind, President Obama could have attended colleges or universities as a Foreign Student. How do I know this, my children have dual citizenship and one did go to college as a Foreign Student, it definitely eased the cost quite a bit.
This is where the real crux of the entire problem should be and properly discussed and not this other BS as related to his election as President. I am no fan of President Obama, and I really do question why all of the secrecy around his records, that could really put this issue to rest. So what if he attended school as a foreign student - the big question should be - did he renounce his dual citizenship status?

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 12 at 2015 5:42 AM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 05:42:20 -0500

Yeah remember this. Bogus as hell. The Photoshop King that made this didn't realize there was such a thing much later than President Obama but I think the Number was tracked to a White Student and he though it was funnier than Hell.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Dec 12 at 2015 9:50 AM

SSG Warren Swan — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 09:50:08 -0500

Great Job Sir. I'm noticing one thing with the birthers...McCain shut them down with the quickness, so as if a "gift" was given to them Obama became their rallying cry. No matter how much information he or anyone put out, the truths get dismissed, the facts are said to be wrong, and anything negative about the man, now has the countries undivided attention. I haven't seen the Birther movement go after Cruz. There are a few similarities between the men, but he's not faced with the scrutiny that Obama faced in his time (and even now). I haven't heard Fox news asking for Curz's, grade school transcripts, friends he may have had in pre-school, his college transcripts, who he took to prom, or anything else. I haven't heard the liberal side ask for any of it either. But almost 8 years into his presidency, we're still trying to figure out if he's an American or not? A little late, a little tired, and it's HIGH time for some people to get jobs and move on.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Dec 12 at 2015 11:08 AM

MCPO Roger Collins — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 11:08:03 -0500

As one that detests the policies of this administration, I wish that the birthers would drop this type of attacks. It makes us all look bad. No one could have doctored documents from 1961 in preparation for a potential off-spring of a commie and female of dubious character becoming the future president. I was there in 1961 and remember NOT seeing it in the papers. :)

Response by SPC George Rudenko made Dec 16 at 2015 8:23 PM

SPC George Rudenko — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 20:23:40 -0500

And there are still those who believe we never landed on the moon either.

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Dec 16 at 2015 9:14 PM

SGM Mikel Dawson — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 21:14:23 -0500

Again, believe nothing you hear, and half of what you see. With all the computer tricks and such today, what is real and what is memorex?

Response by SSgt Jim Gilmore made Jan 8 at 2016 12:59 AM

SSgt Jim Gilmore — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 00:59:16 -0500

Show me a copy of his long form certificate of live birth?

Response by SGT Nickolas Ortiz made Nov 9 at 2024 11:26 AM

SGT Nickolas Ortiz — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 11:26:07 -0500

Funny… this is ancient news… but NEVER debunked. And… in one sentence he said aes, “anything can be forged” and in the next claims he proves a RECORD is factional because HE says it is.

Response by SPC Hadassah D. made Nov 9 at 2024 1:26 PM

SPC Hadassah D. — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 13:26:10 -0500

Everyone knows Snopes is the real fraud - paid to push propaganda on Americans who question the truth. Hawaiians themselves remember the always-lying Barry and will tell you themselves. He is not American. Seek out their interviews if you want to know the truth. I have met some that remember.

Response by SPC Hadassah D. made Nov 9 at 2024 1:36 PM

SPC Hadassah D. — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 13:36:13 -0500

There's a lot worse on Barry that most Americans don't know. Just check out what his victims say or his ex-boyfriends... oh, wait... They're all dead now - except for Michael who changed his name to Michelle. Don't believe me? Listen closely and there's multiple times he calls her "Michael" in public and doesn't even catch himself. Barry was the most deceptive President I'd ever studied. He was groomed to destroy America from the inside out while appearing like he cared. I understand the truth will be too inconvenient for most of you, but it's time you wake up and stop believing the propaganda that's been thrown in our faces our whole lives. As soon as you do, we might be able to save our country. If you don't, then don't be surprised when your freedoms are gone.

Response by SMSgt Bob W. made Nov 10 at 2024 10:40 PM

SMSgt Bob W. — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 22:40:35 -0500

WHO CARES!!!!!! This is 2024. Since Obama, we have had two idiots as President and now one of the idiots returns.

Response by Lt Col Roger Helbig made Nov 17 at 2024 4:47 PM

Lt Col Roger Helbig — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 16:47:54 -0500

How many of you have read this which is as close to a trial as USA v Donald J Trump is likely to get? If you haven't read this, just start with pages 6-19 and get an idea of what Candidate Trump was told, by whom, and what he did afterwards.

Response by SSgt James Jones made Nov 17 at 2024 6:03 PM

SSgt James Jones — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 18:03:16 -0500

Why is this garbage allowed on this site? Is it because American voted for a corrupt convicted criminal? How is this helping us veterans that served our country honorably.

Response by SFC Michael Peterson made Nov 22 at 2024 4:44 PM

SFC Michael Peterson — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 16:44:25 -0500

Well, his “Certificate of Live Birth” looks like it was photoshopped too. In 1961, it would have said “Negro” for Race, instead of “African American”. The published form was not an original, which casts doubt in my mind. Then there is the fact that his own grandmother said she witnessed his birth in Kenya. I may have believed that the original was lost or, that grandma’s memory was starting to fade but, not both. Call me a skeptic is you wish. I don’t really care. Either way, I think he was a lousy President.

Response by SGT Bill Braniff made Dec 29 at 2024 6:21 PM

SGT Bill Braniff — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 18:21:45 -0500

There aren’t any showable birth records or they woukd have been immediately shown

Response by SPC Joseph Kenny made Jan 9 at 2025 5:03 PM

SPC Joseph Kenny — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 17:03:42 -0500

Snopes? LOL

Response by CSM John Mead made Jan 14 at 2025 1:55 PM

CSM John Mead — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 13:55:18 -0500

Bottom line, he served two terms as president and said service was questionable. At this point, everything is moot. Let’s move on.

Response by PO1 Joseph Young made Feb 21 at 2025 4:02 PM

PO1 Joseph Young — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:55 -0500

What is this still an issue?

Response by LCpl Jerry Syrovatka made Feb 24 at 2025 10:45 AM

LCpl Jerry Syrovatka — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:45:18 -0500

no but his book did say he was born Kenya then he said that was a mistake watch this video about his birth certificate being a completely wrong https://x.com/KarluskaP/status/ [login to see] 16377021?s=01

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