Disinformation on eligibility for the American presidential election: What Gabonese parliamentarians are deliberately ignoring in order to defend Article 53

For several days, a wave of misinformation has been circulating on social media and in the statements of some Gabonese parliamentarians. The latter take the example of the United States to illustrate the eligibility criteria for the presidency, stating that it would be imperative to be born on American soil to be able to run for president. This is false, and this type of misinformation deserves to be corrected. Let's take stock of what the American Constitution actually says.

The myth of "born on American soil"

Contrary to what some claim, Article 2, Section 5 of the United States Constitution does not mention birthplace as the sole criterion for eligibility. It simply states that one must be a " natural born citizen." In other words, the Constitution does not specify where an individual must be born, but only requires that he or she be a natural-born citizen, which includes both jus soli (right of the soil) and jus sanguinis (right of blood).

Concrete examples to illustrate the counter-example

The facts are there. Several American presidential candidates were born outside the United States, but that has never stopped them from running. Here are some notable examples:

• George Romney , a candidate in the 1968 Republican primary, was born in Mexico.
• John McCain , who ran for president in 2000 and 2008 for the Republican Party, was born in Panama.
• Canadian-born Ted Cruz also ran in the 2016 Republican primary.

It is true that these cases are fewer in number, but each time, the candidacy of these people has been validated by the American courts, including by the Supreme Court, which has judged them eligible for the office of President of the United States. No judge has ever invalidated a candidacy for this reason.

Confusion and disinformation: what Gabonese parliamentarians need to know

Gabonese parliamentarians who brandish this argument to justify certain eligibility criteria in Gabon are unfortunately part of the disinformation. It is crucial, especially when referring to foreign examples, to ensure that we understand the context and the texts in question.

These kinds of errors, especially when amplified by public figures, harm public debate. Rather than using incorrect information, it would be more useful to take the time to do research and consult legitimate sources.

The American legal framework

For those who want to verify this information, here is a link to an official document from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that details the criteria for citizenship by birth: Link to USCIS document .

In addition, there are also research papers, including those from a law firm specializing in statutory law, that specifically answer questions from members of the U.S. Congress about what the status of "natural born citizen" entails.