Like cockroaches after a nuclear blast so too do fake quotes, sealed forever in meme form, survive a fact-checker’s rating.
An edited version of the Time magazine cover of now-Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar continues to circulate (after being checked by PolitiFact and Snopes) on Facebook with a fake quote pasted over the issue’s title. “Well, Minnesota, now you know how Ilhan Omar really feels. If she wins reelection in 2 yrs, you’re idiots” one user said in his post of the image.
The first quote on the image: “I am America’s hope and the president’s nightmare” is accurate. Omar made this quip last year in response to comedian(ish) Trevor Noah’s tee-up, “You are everything that President Trump seems to be against, and you are in government; what’s the plan?”
The second quote is faker than every time I tell my in-laws I’m “glad to see” them. (The initial dread is best treated with three fingers of bourbon; Jameson will do in a pinch. Double that amount and you might circle back to the initial affliction that led to the first drink.)
There is no record whatsoever of Omar saying that “all white men should be put in chains as slaves because they will never submit to Islam” or anything remotely similar.
When it comes to memes, just say no.
If you have questions about this fact check, or would like to submit a request for another fact check, email Holmes Lybrand at [email protected] or the Weekly Standard at [email protected]. For details on TWS Fact Check, see our explainer here.
