Belief that Obama was Muslim rose during his presidency and tracked with disapproval

Evidence

A Pew Forum poll in August 2010, a year and a half into his presidency, revealed that 18 percent of Americans believed that Obama is Muslim, compared to 12 percent in March 2008. When asked, “What is Obama’s religion?,” 34 percent answered “Christian,” compared to 47 percent in 2008, and 46 percent said they did not know, compared to the prior 34 percent. Not surprisingly, the poll indicates a correlation between those who believe that he is Muslim and those who oppose his presidency. — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media, 1369 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Obama attracted more and broader conspiracy theories than prior presidents — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 41; By late 2015 a majority of Trump supporters believed Obama was Muslim — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long: The Legacy of White…, 49; Obama’s Muslim rumor grew after his election despite his public Christian identification — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media: Race…, 1369 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Obama’s Muslim rumor grew after his election despite his public Christian identification #corroborates (0.92) — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media, 1369