No, TV host Steve Harvey didn’t write a viral pro-Trump raccoon analogy

A viral Facebook rant that likens President Donald Trump to an exterminator and undocumented immigrants to raccoons is being attributed to radio personality and television host Steve Harvey.

But the "Family Feud" host did not make this rant.

We recently came across one post that’s been shared over 134,000 times, titled "HOW I FEEL ABOUT TRUMP" with a large photo of Harvey.

The rant talks about a man finding an infestation of raccoons in his basement. After multiple exterminators say they can’t handle the problem, he decides to bring in "one guy...who guarantees to get rid of them." The message suggests that although the man may have shortcomings, such as being an alcoholic, smelling bad or swearing, it doesn’t matter –– as long as he gets rid of the raccoons. 

"Here's why we want Trump: Yes, he's a bit of a jerk; Yes, he's an egomaniac; but we don't care!" the analogy continues. "The country is a mess because politicians suck, the Republicans and Democrats can be two-faced and gutless, and illegals are everywhere.. We want it all fixed!"

Featured Fact-check

Instagram posts

stated on October 6, 2024 in an Instagram post

FEMA “blocked a runway” at a South Carolina airport and “halted” hurricane relief flights.

The 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.) It is several years old.

The message appears to have originated in March 2016 when it was posted on conservative website "100% FED up!" In the introduction, the website said the letter was submitted by an anonymous 80-year-old American.  

Best we can tell, the attribution to Harvey started in 2019, when a different man named (you guessed it) Steve Harvey posted it on his Facebook page. His post was shared over 160,000 times.

At some point, the TV host’s photo was attached to the rant. The rest is celebrity misattribution history. 

We rate it False.