FACT CHECK: Did Lou Holtz Make This Statement About âTwo Americasâ?
An image shared on Facebook attributes a statement about âtwo Americasâ to former college football coach Lou Holtz.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence Holtz authored the statement in the post. It originated from a column written by Bob Lonsberry in 2013.
Fact Check:
The statement attributed to Holtz, who was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1986 to 1996 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, has circulated on Facebook this month. President Donald Trump awarded Holtz the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Dec. 4, according to ESPN.
âThe Democrats are right, there are two Americas,â the post credits Holtz with saying. âThe America that works and the America that doesnât. The America that contributes and the America that doesnât. Itâs not the haves and the have nots, itâs the dos and the donâts. Some people do their duty as Americans, obey the law, support themselves, contribute to society and others donât. Thatâs the divide in America.â
The statement goes on to say that âitâs not about income inequality, itâs about civic irresponsibilityâ and talks about a political party that allegedly âpreaches hatred, greed and victimization in order to win elective officeâ and âloves power more than it loves its country.â Iterations of the quote often feature the phrase âLou Holtz Nails It!â
There is, however, no evidence Holtz authored the statement attributed to him in the Facebook post. Check Your Fact didnât find any major media outlets attributing the quote to the former college football coach. It also doesnât appear on his verified Twitter account. (RELATED: Did Donald Trump Tweet, âAmerica Is Now Great Do To My Sacrificesâ?)
The statement comes from a column written by Lonsberry. It was published on his website, where a line indicates it was written in December 2013. He published the âTwo Americasâ essay after then-President Barack Obama on Dec. 4, 2013 delivered remarks in which, according to the White House transcript, he discussed a âdangerous and growing inequality and lack of upward mobilityâ in America.
Portions of the column have been erroneously attributed to Holtz over the years. Lonsberry confirmed to Snopes he wrote the column.