Fact Check

Did Michele Bachmann Say 'Kanye is Right' and Slavery was 'a Choice'?

A phony quote from the former U.S. representative circulated after the musician made controversial remarks about slavery.

Published May 2, 2018

Claim:
Congresswoman turned pundit Michele Bachmann said "Kanye is right ... slavery was a choice."

On 1 May 2018, the satirical Facebook page "Christians for Michele Bachmann" shared a meme involving the pundit's purported position on remarks Kanye West made about slavery during a TMZ segment:

michele bachmann kanye right

The image read:

"Kanye is right. Slavery was a choice. Whites chose not to be slaves, and that's why we weren't slaves. Whites didn't want to be gassed during the Holocaust. That's why we weren't gassed. Apparently Jews felt differently.

If you don't want to be a slave, don't be a slave. It's not that hard.

Michele Bachmann
Fox and Friends  May 1, 2018

Determining the credibility of the claim is fairly simple. Fox & Friends airs between 6 and 9 A.M. on the East Coast. TMZ shared its interview with Kanye West at 12:05 P.M. Pacific time, six hours after Fox & Friends concluded their 1 May 2018 broadcast. Chronologically, it is not possible for Bachmann to have addressed West's remarks several hours before he even made them.

Furthermore, Christians for Michele Bachmann is a well-known purveyor of phony quotes on sharable memes. As its name suggests, Bachmann is a frequent (but not the only) target of the page's fabrications.

Kim LaCapria is a former writer for Snopes.