The Claim:
On May 25, 2024, TikTok user @sunflowerfangirlreadsluv uploaded an image claiming that Donald Trump called the Republican Party the “dumbest group of voters” in a 1998 interview with People Magazine. The post had over 1.6 million views, 33k shares, and 270,000 likes; it is linked here.
The exact post quoted Trump saying: “If I were to run, I’d run as a Republican. They’re the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they’d still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific.” But is the alleged statement true? Did Trump really say that?
Who’s behind the information?
Because @sunflowerfangirlreadsluv did not have a name attached to her profile, I clicked on the link tree that is available in her bio. Her Instagram and Youtube were private accounts, so I went to her Goodreads profile. From there, I discovered that her first name is Theresa. Her TikTok posts are mainly left content about LGBTQ rights, but there are some videos about her interests, such as Taylor Swift. Overall, there is not much to find out about this woman, and there is not any background information on her profile that proves she is a credible source.
Look Into the Evidence & What Experts Say or Do A Keyword Search:
The first thing I did was search “Trump People Magazine 1998 Snopes.” Snopes is a fact checking website that specializes in misinformation regarding politics, news, and entertainment. I found an article titled “Trump Once Said Republicans are the ‘Dumbest Group of Voters’ ?” The author is Izz Scott LaMadeleine– a decorated journalist that has previously worked for organizations such as The Texas Tribune and Politifact.
The Snopes article was published on Jan 28, 2024. LaMadeleine wrote that rumors about Trump’s People Magazine quote circulated in January while he was campaigning to establish himself as the Republican nominee for president. Posts about the statement were also shared on other social media sites– like TikTok– in 2020.
Snopes fact checked by looking at People Magazine’s articles about Trump from 1998; they mainly covered the topic of his former wives, Ivana Trump and Marla Maples. However, Trump was never quoted describing Republicans as “the dumbest group of voters.”
Our Rating:
Not legit. There was no evidence from People Magazine articles in 1998 regarding Donald Trump where he declared Republicans as the dumbest group of voters. The TikTok was misinformation. Overall, don’t be so quick to believe what you see on the internet.