The head of the American Enterprise Institute participated in a discussion on poverty with President Obama at Georgetown University.
Posted by The Daily Show: Ears Edition, Checked
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The Daily Show: Ears EditionAug 28, 2026
Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, took part in the May 12, 2015 poverty panel with President Obama at Georgetown University, as confirmed by the White House, Georgetown, and USA Today. The claim departs from the passage only in dropping the Fox News framing, which does not change the core assertion.
What was said
… I am a Black man who grew up without a father, and I know the cost that I paid for that, and I also know that I have the capacity to break that cycle. You know who else talked with his hands? Hitler. So Fox finally got the substantive presidential discussion on poverty that they always wanted, including on stage the counter view from the head of the conservative American Enterprise Institute. He was on stage. I can't wait to see Fox's happiness and satisfaction. Fox News alert, Fox News front and center: President Obama taking time out today for one of his favorite topics, Fox News. …
The Daily Show: Ears Edition · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The White House blog reports that President Obama sat down at Georgetown University with Harvard professor Robert Putnam and American Enterprise Institute president Arthur Brooks to discuss poverty in America.[2]
Supports. Georgetown's own event page and news story confirm a panel featuring President Obama, Robert Putnam, and Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, moderated by E.J. Dionne on May 12, 2015.[3][4]
Supports. USA Today reports that Arthur Brooks, head of the American Enterprise Institute, debated poverty policy with Obama during the Georgetown forum.[5]
Context. PolitiFact's coverage of the same event describes Obama's remarks on poverty at Georgetown and the Fox News exchange that followed, without disputing the panel's participants.[1]
Sources
5 sources: 1 fact-checker, 3 primary, 1 not rated
- 1Fox News, Barack Obama and their 'lazy' back-and-forth - PolitiFactpolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 23 Important Thoughts the President Shared on Poverty in Americaobamawhitehouse.archives.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 3Obama at Georgetown: Now is the Time to Invest in Helping the Poorgeorgetown.edu · primary source · cited for: supports
- 4Poverty in America: A Panel Discussion with President Barack Obamacatholicsocialthought.georgetown.edu · primary source · cited for: supports
- 5Obama, conservative writer debate poverty policyusatoday.com · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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