Yes, Texas man named 'Literally Anybody Else' is running for president | Fact check
The claim: Texas man changed his name to ‘Literally Anybody Else,’ announced presidential run
A March 26 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a photo of a man next to photos of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
“A 35-year-old man in Texas has legally changed his name to ‘Literally Anybody Else’ and announces he will attempt to run for President, against Trump and Biden,” reads the post.
It received more than 3,500 shares in less than a week.
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Our rating: True
File this one under strange but true. A man formerly known as Dustin Ebey provided USA TODAY with documentation showing he legally changed his name to “Literally Anybody Else” out of frustration with voters’ options in the 2024 presidential race. Else started a campaign website and is working to collect signatures in Texas.
Name is odd, but campaign is real
Else showed USA TODAY his driver’s license and court documents affirming he obtained his new name in January, leaving behind his birth name of Dustin Ebey.
Else said he initially purchased the domain name LiterallyAnybodyElse.com in 2023 because he suspected others shared his dissatisfaction with presidential candidates in recent election cycles. He thought he could potentially sell merchandise, such as T-shirts and bumper stickers, with the slogan.
His disheartenment reached a tipping point when it became clear there would be a rematch between Trump and Biden in 2024.
He began the process of changing his name and setting up a campaign, which Dallas' WFAA-TV covered in a March 22 story. Else said the story triggered a flood of new supporters and media requests from around the world, which makes him more optimistic about collecting the more than 113,000 signatures needed to be listed as an independent candidate on the Texas ballot.
“Will I make it on the ballot?” Else said. “Probably not, but it’s a lot more feasible now than it used to be, than it was a week ago, for sure.”
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The name change was to push back against people who "complain and do nothing," Else said.
“I’m not just complaining, I’ve taken action. I’ve taken this step, this sacrifice," he said. "Changing your identity is hard. That’s me, my name, Dustin Ebey was … who I’ve been for 35 years, and now I have to put that identity on hold to assume the persona and identity of someone who can run the country."
Else said he's seeking counsel from experts in various fields to flesh out the details of his policy agenda. In the meantime, his website lists his positions on a handful of topics including healthcare, education and the border with Mexico.
Various news outlets including USA TODAY, KSAX-TV in Dallas and the Hill also reported on Else’s presidential run.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
Literally Anybody Else, April 1, Phone call with USA TODAY
LiterallyAnybodyElse.com, April 1, Policies
The Hill, March 25, Texas man running for president under name Literally Anybody Else
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Claim of Literally Anybody Else running for office is true | Fact check
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