The false claim Marian Robinson was expected to receive $160,000 a year from the U.S. government seems to have originated in The Boston Tribune in October 2016, when Barack Obama was about to leave office. Despite the legit-sounding name, the website — now defunct — published satirical content, the AP reported in January 2017, when the fake news experienced another surge online. Other fishy outlets picked up the fake report, and the claims spread like wildfire on social media.
Internet users were outraged. “Here’s a fun fact….. Michelle Obama’s mother, who took care of the granddaughters for all 8 years was GETTING PAID! And NOW she is getting a pension of $13,000 a month for the rest of her life. (chew on that, how much is your social security?)” one X user wrote in August 2020, nearly four years after the false claim was initially made. Others ranked Robinson’s supposed pension as Michelle’s highest accomplishment as first lady. “So glad to be rid of her. She did nothing but get her Mother $150,000 Pension for babysitting,” another user tweeted in 2018.
But the claim makes no sense. The original Boston Tribune report contended Robinson’s payment was tied to the Civil Service Retirement Act, which applies to federal workers who started before 1987. Michelle’s mother was neither a government employee nor was she anywhere close to the White House in the ’80s. Since she wasn’t employed, she also received no compensation for caring for Malia and Sasha.
