FACT CHECK: Did Ellen DeGeneres Say, ‘8 Years. No Scandals. We Sure Are Going To Miss The Obamas’?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

Turning Point USA shared an image on Facebook that credits comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres with saying, “8 years. No scandals. We sure are going to miss the Obamas.”

“Well except for the… Fast and Furious scandal, Uranium One scandal, Benghazi scandal, IRS targeting scandal, NSA spying scandal,” reads the bottom half of the meme. “Should I continue?”

Verdict: False

The Daily Caller found no record of DeGeneres making the statement. It likely got linked to her after an unaffiliated Twitter account called @EllenReaction tweeted the quote.

Fact Check:

DeGeneres has hosted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama on her daytime talk show “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” numerous times. In January 2017, just a day before President Donald Trump got sworn into office, DeGeneres paid tribute to the Obama family with a video of “her favorite moments” with them.

Yet, while DeGeneres often spoke favorably of the Obama family, there is no evidence that DeGeneres said the quote attributed to her in the Facebook post. The Daily caller didn’t find any credible online sources linking her to the expression, and resources like TVEyes have no account of her saying it. The statement doesn’t appear on her verified social media accounts either.

An internet search revealed numerous instances of Twitter users tweeting the expression around the time of the 2016 presidential election. (RELATED: No, Tribal Leaders Did Not Give Barack Obama A Derogatory Native American Name)

“8 years. No scandals. No mistresses. No impeachment hearings. Just class and grace, personified. We sure are going to miss this family,” reads a popular version of the quote. It is often accompanied by an Obama family photo.

The statement likely got attributed to DeGeneres after the Twitter account @EllenReaction tweeted it out, garnering more than 12,000 retweets and 30,000 likes. The account, which has since been suspended, did not disclaim in its bio that it had no affiliation with the host of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” likely spurring the misattribution.

“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” did not respond to a request for comment.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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