Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Ocasio-Cortez didn’t say she speaks with herself because she has 'a very good brain.' That was Trump
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is no stranger to fake internet memes. Most claim she said things she didn’t say, one disparaged her financial stability and another doctored an image to make it look like she was in a compromising position.
And now we have another, interesting quote that’s been falsely attributed to the New York Democrat on Facebook.
The post features a photo of Ocasio-Cortez and quotes her as saying:
"‘I’m speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I’ve said lots of things’ - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on foreign policy."
The July 9 post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Featured Fact-check
Alas, she did not say it – Donald Trump did.
On March 16, 2016, Trump, then considered the Republican-nominee frontrunner, participated in a phone interview for MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" newscast.
Co-anchor Mika Brzezinski starts off by asking Trump who he consults with on foreign policy issues. Trump replies with the exact statement: "I’m speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I’ve said lots of things." He goes on to talk about how he wrote about Osama Bin-Laden before September 11, that he knows what he’s doing and listens and talks to "a lot of people ... but my primary consultant is myself."
This quote belongs to Trump, not Ocasio-Cortez.
We rate this meme Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Facebook post, July 9, 2019
PolitiFact, No, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez probably didn't say that, March 27, 2019
Politico, Trump: I consult myself on foreign policy, March 16, 2016
The Hill, Trump's top foreign policy advisor? 'I'm speaking with myself', March 16, 2016
YouTube, Donald Trump: ‘My Primary Consultant Is Myself’ | Morning Joe | MSNBC, March 16, 2016
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Samantha Putterman
Ocasio-Cortez didn’t say she speaks with herself because she has 'a very good brain.' That was Trump
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.