GOP Lawmaker Claims Obama 'Created', Not 'Organic'

Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett alleges former president was handpicked by shadowy forces.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) asserted in an interview that former President Barack Obama was "created" and not an "organic" person, claiming Obama had "zero records" in college and was elevated through the "corrupt Chicago machine." Burchett also suggested Obama was connected to the crimes of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, though provided no evidence to support this claim.

Why it matters

Burchett's comments reflect a growing trend among some conservatives to push conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated claims about the legitimacy of Obama's presidency and background. These types of allegations, without credible evidence, can undermine faith in democratic institutions and the electoral process.

The details

During an interview with MAGA influencer Benny Johnson, Burchett claimed Obama was "created" rather than an "organic" person, alleging the former president had "zero records" in college and was elevated through the "corrupt Chicago machine." Burchett also suggested, without evidence, that Obama was connected to the crimes of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

  • Obama served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017.

The players

Rep. Tim Burchett

A Republican Congressman representing Tennessee's 2nd congressional district.

Barack Obama

The 44th President of the United States, serving from 2009 to 2017.

Jeffrey Epstein

A convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Benny Johnson

A MAGA influencer who conducted the interview with Rep. Burchett.

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What they’re saying

“Obama is, like, signing executive orders. You can, like, tie all this back to the Rothschild Bank. Like, he's, like, doing all this stuff. And he's, like, somehow, like, Obama's getting zero pushback on this. Why is nobody asking Obama, like, why didn't you do something about Jeffrey Epstein?”

— Benny Johnson, MAGA Influencer (rawstory.com)

“Because President Obama was created. He was not, he's not organic. I mean, you pick this obscure guy from college who has zero records you have college professors that don't remember him ever being there and he runs and he's and all of a sudden people drop out of races and he's unopposed and he goes from a state senator to a to a U.S. senator to an unknown to be in the United States because he was created.”

— Rep. Tim Burchett, Republican Congressman (rawstory.com)

The takeaway

Burchett's unsubstantiated claims about Obama's background and legitimacy reflect a broader trend of conspiracy theories and misinformation being spread by some conservatives. These types of allegations, without credible evidence, can undermine faith in democratic institutions and the electoral process.