Social media users have been sharing an image online with a quote attributed to Ronald Reagan, which states that Democrats will restrict “freedoms”, “history” and “safety”. The quote is dated from 1987. Reuters could not find any evidence that the former President said this.
Examples can be seen here and here .
The quote reads: “Keep voting Democrat … One day they will restrict your freedoms, restrict your history and restrict your safety. All in the name of professional victims that don’t understand the consequences of their ignorance. Ronald Reagan, 1987”
The claim does not give any source, date, location or the event where Reagan is alleged to have said this. It gives no information besides the year. A Google search of the quote brings up meme pages and social media posts.
The quote does not exist in any of Reagan’s speeches between 1981 and 1989 (his presidential term) on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum online archive ( here ). It also does not show up in the quotes and speeches available on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute or the National Archives ( here , www.archives.gov/ )
The earliest iterations of this claim that Reuters could find was July 2020 ( here , here ). This suggests the fabricated quote stems from a national debate in the U.S. around confederate monuments (“restrict your history”) and pandemic safety precautions like wearing a mask (“restrict your freedom”).
Other fact checkers have also asserted this Reagan quote is unsubstantiated ( here , here .
VERDICT
False. There is no evidence to show Ronald Reagan said Democrats would restrict freedoms in 1987.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here .
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.