FACT CHECK: No, Nikki Haley Did Not Say ‘Only Bill Gates Can Save Humanity’
A post shared on Instagram claims 2024 presidential hopeful and former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley purportedly said, “only Bill Gates can save humanity.”
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Verdict: False
The claim is false and stems from a Jan. 17 article published by “The People’s Voice,” a website that is known for spreading “fake news.”
Fact Check:
Haley made a surprise appearance on the sketch comedy series, “Saturday Night Live,” this past weekend, according to The Hill. Haley appeared alongside James Austin Johnson in a sketch that took aim at former President Donald Trump, the outlet reported.
The Instagram post, which has garnered over 300 likes, claims Haley purportedly said, “only Bill Gates can save humanity.” “What is WRONG with her?” text overlay featured in the post reads.
The claim is false and stems from a Jan. 17 article published by “The People’s Voice,” a website that is known for spreading “fake news.” A “Liability Disclaimer” included on the site’s “Terms of Use” page indicates it “makes no representations about the suitability, reliability, availability, timeliness, and accuracy of the information, software, products, services and related graphics contained on the site for any purpose.”
The site, which has previously been known as “NewsPunch” and “YourNewsWire,” is described as “one of the most well-known purveyors of fake news online,” according to a 2019 article from Mashable. (RELATED: No, The WHO Has Not Unveiled A ‘Global Police Force’)
The article appears to attribute the purported remark to Haley based on a tweet she shared back in 2020.
“Thank you @BillGates for donating billions of dollars to construct factories that will manufacture the seven most promising vaccines. This will keep us from losing any time as potential vaccines move through the clinical trial process,” Haley wrote at the time. Included in the tweet is a link to an April 2020 article from The Hill indicating the Microsoft founder was funding the creation of seven COVID-19 vaccines.
Thank you @BillGates for donating billions of dollars to construct factories that will manufacture the seven most promising vaccines. This will keep us from losing any time as potential vaccines move through the clinical trial process. 🇺🇸@standamericanow https://t.co/CAOqq9IUy0
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) April 6, 2020
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting Haley made the purported remark. In fact, the opposite is true. USA Today also labeled the claim as false. In addition, neither Haley nor Gates have publicly commented on the claim.
Check Your Fact has contacted a Haley spokesperson for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
