Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) promoted a long-debunked conspiracy theory this week, sharing an outdated video falsely claiming that former President Barack Obama's birth certificate was fraudulent. The resurfaced clip, which originated from a 2016 press conference, gained traction on social media, prompting Greene to amplify it on X, formerly Twitter, to her 1.4 million followers.
"Oohhh this is great!!" Greene wrote in a post accompanying the video, which has been repeatedly disproven by government officials, fact-checkers, and journalists. The video, which was originally posted on February 20, falsely suggested that new evidence had emerged proving Obama's birth certificate was a forgery.
Greene's post, viewed more than 2.9 million times, quickly drew criticism and was flagged with a community note clarifying that the footage was not new. "Footage of the press conference held by the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona is from 2016, not 2025 as is implied by posts on social media," the note stated. The press conference, led by then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a staunch Trump ally, did not produce any credible evidence challenging Obama's citizenship.
Obama, who was born in Hawaii in 1961, has repeatedly addressed the "birther" conspiracy, which falsely claims he was born outside the U.S. His administration released his official birth certificate in 2011, and a link to the National Archives' record was included in the fact-checking response to Greene's post.
Social media users quickly criticized Greene for spreading the false claim. One user wrote, "I hate to be the one to break it to you... this isn't new, it's not credible, you've been played (again)." Others mocked the Georgia congresswoman for reviving a long-settled controversy, with comments such as, "Breaking News!!! from December 2016!!!"
The baseless birther theory initially emerged in 2004, falsely claiming that Obama was secretly Arab or Muslim, and gained traction in 2008 when he launched his presidential campaign. Donald Trump played a key role in promoting the conspiracy before later admitting Obama was, in fact, born in the U.S.
Greene, who has built her political brand on promoting controversial and conspiratorial narratives, has previously drawn backlash for questioning school shootings, endorsing QAnon theories, and making inflammatory statements. Her past remarks led to her being stripped of committee assignments in 2021, though she has since regained influence among far-right conservatives and Trump loyalists.
Beyond the birther controversy, Obama has faced renewed media speculation in recent weeks amid rumors of a possible divorce from Michelle Obama. Reports have circulated that Michelle's absence from major public events signals a private separation. "They want to have everything ironed out in advance. The last thing they want is an ugly fight with lots of nasty legal filings," an anonymous Democratic Party insider told RadarOnline.
