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

2015-12-10T15:41:57-05:00

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

2015-12-10T15:45:26-05:00

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

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

2015-12-10T15:47:57-05:00

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

2015-12-10T15:48:09-05:00

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

2015-12-10T16:00:30-05:00

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

2015-12-10T16:06:36-05:00

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

2015-12-10T16:07:50-05:00

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

2015-12-10T16:13:42-05:00

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

2015-12-10T16:43:20-05:00

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

2015-12-10T17:14:55-05:00

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

2015-12-10T18:58:05-05:00

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

2015-12-11T12:34:12-05:00

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

2015-12-11T19:57:46-05:00

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

2015-12-12T05:42:20-05:00

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

2015-12-12T09:50:08-05:00

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

2015-12-12T11:08:03-05:00

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

2015-12-16T20:23:40-05:00

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

2015-12-16T21:14:23-05:00

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

2016-01-08T00:59:16-05:00

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