You didn't build that

In August 2011, while contemplating a run for the U.S. Senate, former White House financial reform adviser Elizabeth Warren gave a defense of progressive economic theory at an event in Andover, Massachusetts.{{cite news|last=Smerconish|first=Michael|title='You Didn't Build That!' in Context|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-smerconish/you-didnt-build-that-in-c_b_1721794.html|access-date=September 2, 2012|work=The Huffington Post|date=July 30, 2012}} On September 21, a video of Warren making the case for progressive economics received attention on the Internet and became a viral video.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/class-warfare-elizabeth-warren-style/2011/03/03/gIQAeB2WlK_blog.html|title=Class warfare, Elizabeth Warren style|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 21, 2011|first=Greg|last=Sargent|access-date=September 2, 2012}} In the video, Warren aggressively rebuts the argument that asking the rich to pay more taxes is "class warfare",Elizabeth Warren speaking in Andover, Massachusetts, on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htX2usfqMEs Debt Crisis and Fair Taxation] by arguing that no one grew rich in America without depending on government services paid for by the rest of society.{{cite news|last=Smerconish|first=Michael|title=The context behind Obama's 'you didn't build that'|url=http://articles.philly.com/2012-07-30/news/32924415_1_elizabeth-warren-american-crossroads-president-obama|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234025/http://articles.philly.com/2012-07-30/news/32924415_1_elizabeth-warren-american-crossroads-president-obama|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 30, 2013|access-date=September 2, 2012 |newspaper=Philadelphia Inquirer|date=July 30, 2012}} Warren said:{{cite web|accessdate=2021-04-03|title=Elizabeth Warren: "There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own"|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elizabeth-warren-there-is-nobody-in-this-country-who-got-rich-on-his-own/|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=September 22, 2011 }}

{{quote|I hear all this, you know, 'Well, this is class warfare, this is whatever.' No. There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own — nobody. You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police-forces and fire-forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn't have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory — and hire someone to protect against this — because of the work the rest of us did. Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea. God bless — keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is, you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.}}

Obama later echoed Warren's thoughts when he spoke in Roanoke, Virginia, about how private businesses rely on government investments in infrastructure.{{cite news|last=Robillard|first=Kevin|title=Scott Brown: Obama echoed Elizabeth Warren speech|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78951.html|access-date=September 2, 2012|publisher=Politico|date=July 25, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Trumbull|first=Mark|title=Elizabeth Warren: What will Obama's 'you didn't build that' ally say to DNC?|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Senate/2012/0731/Elizabeth-Warren-What-will-Obama-s-you-didn-t-build-that-ally-say-to-DNC|access-date=September 2, 2012|publisher=The Christian Science Monitor|date=July 31, 2012}} In her victory speech on November 6, 2012, after winning the Senate election in Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren made a callback, stating that it had been "an amazing campaign, and let me be clear, I didn't build that, you built that."[http://www.wbur.org/2012/11/06/elizabeth-warren-wins Democrat Warren Tops Brown In Mass. Senate Race] WBUR.org, November 6, 2012; accessed October 30, 2014.

On July 13, 2012, during a campaign swing through Virginia, Obama stopped in Roanoke to speak to supporters.{{cite news |title=Obama campaign in full swing in Virginia |url=http://www.sfgate.com/nation/slideshow/Obama-campaign-in-full-swing-in-Virginia-45934.php#photo-3193987 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=13 July 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}} In his remarks Obama noted that while he was willing to cut government waste, he would not gut investments that grow the economy or give tax breaks to millionaires like himself or Mitt Romney. Obama went on to say that rich people did not get rich solely due to their own talent and hard work, but that, to varying degrees, they owe some of their success to good fortune and the contributions of government.{{cite news |last=Chait |first=Jonathan|title=How 'You Didn't Build That' Violated Conservative P.C. |url=http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/07/how-obama-violated-conservative-pc.html |access-date=September 2, 2012 |newspaper=New York (magazine) |date=July 20, 2012}} Obama said in this context:

{{quote|There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me – because they want to give something back. They know they didn't – look, if you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. You didn't get there on your own. I'm always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something – there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. (Applause.)

If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.

The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together. There are some things, just like fighting fires, we don't do on our own. I mean, imagine if everybody had their own fire service. That would be a hard way to organize fighting fires.{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/13/remarks-president-campaign-event-roanoke-virginia |title=Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event in Roanoke, Virginia |date=13 July 2012 |via=National Archives |work=whitehouse.gov |access-date=13 August 2012}}|author=|title=|source=}}

Obama then cited the funding of the G.I. Bill, the creation of the middle class, the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Dam, creation of the Internet, and landing on the Moon as examples.

The following Monday, July 16, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney spoke about the "you didn't build that" statement in a campaign stump speech. The following day, Romney rebuffed Obama's statement in Pennsylvania by saying:

{{quote|To say that Steve Jobs didn't build Apple, that Henry Ford didn't build Ford Motors, that Papa John didn't build Papa John Pizza ... To say something like that, it's not just foolishness. It's insulting to every entrepreneur, every innovator in America.|Mitt Romney}}

This was followed by campaign events with small business owners in multiple states (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Nevada);{{cite news |title=Romney Camp Continues 'You Didn't Build That' Attacks with Swing State Events |author=Sushannah Walshe |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/romney-camp-continues-you-didnt-build-that-attacks-with-swing-state-events/ |work=ABC News |date=July 25, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}} two small business owners who spoke at one of the campaign events in Florida have government contracts.{{cite news | work = Tampa Bay Times | title = Two local businessowners tapped by Romney to speak out on Obama have bios that contradict message | first = Michael | last = van Sickler | url = http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/two-local-businessowners-tapped-romney-speak-out-obama-have-bios-contradict-message | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120728221312/http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/two-local-businessowners-tapped-romney-speak-out-obama-have-bios-contradict-message | url-status = dead | archive-date = July 28, 2012 | date = July 25, 2012 | access-date = August 23, 2012}} A new part of the Romney campaign website was created,{{cite news |title=Romney Doubles Down On "You Didn't Build That" With New Website |url=http://www.talkradionews.com/news/2012/07/26/romney-doubles-down-on-you-didnt-build-that-with-new-website.html |publisher=Talk Radio News Service |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://builtbyus.mittromney.com/ |title=Built By US |publisher=Romney for President, Inc. |access-date=August 19, 2012}} and merchandise related to the statement was produced.{{cite news |title=Romney's son plugs 'Built By Us' merchandise jabbing at Obama remark |author= Kevin Bohn |author2=Gregory Wallace |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/28/romneys-son-plugs-built-by-us-merchandise-jabbing-at-obama-remark/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730064500/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/28/romneys-son-plugs-built-by-us-merchandise-jabbing-at-obama-remark/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 30, 2012 |publisher=CNN |date=July 28, 2012 |access-date=August 19, 2012}}

The second day of the 2012 Republican National Convention was themed "We Built It" as both a celebration of small businesses and an attack on Obama's comments.{{cite news |title=We Built This |author=Wes Barrett |url=http://nation.foxnews.com/republican-national-convention-2012/2012/08/21/we-built |publisher=Fox Nation |date=August 21, 2012 |access-date=September 1, 2012}}{{cite news |title=Say it in Song |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/SAY-IT-IN-SONG-3819051.php |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=August 27, 2012 |access-date=September 1, 2012}} Salon, Political Wire, and a humor website later commented on the fact that the stadium where the GOP hosted the "We Built It" theme at the convention was constructed using 62% taxpayer financing.{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailydolt.com/2012/08/22/gop-announces-convention-theme-we-built-this-in-stadium-built-with-62-government-funds/ |title=GOP Announces Convention Theme "We Built This" In Stadium Built With 62% Government Funds |work=The Daily Dolt |access-date=August 30, 2012}}{{Self-published source|date=August 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/08/22/gop_convention_held_in_stadium_built_with_public_funds.html |title=GOP Convention Held in Stadium Built With Public Funds |author=Taegan D. Goddard |author-link=Taegan D. Goddard |date=August 22, 2012 |work=Political Wire |publisher=CQ Roll Call |access-date=August 30, 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/2012/08/29/the_four_biggest_convention_stories_you_wont_hear_about/ |title=The four biggest convention stories you won't hear about |author=David Sirota |date=August 29, 2012 |work=Salon |publisher=Salon Media Group, Inc. |access-date=August 30, 2012}} Country music singer Lane Turner also performed a song at the event inspired from the speech called "I Built It".{{cite video |people=Lane Turner |year=2012 |title=Song At RNC: "I Built It" |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPvSGcXYKDE |format=480p |publisher=TPMTV |location=Tampa, Florida |access-date=September 1, 2012 }}

On July 17, 2012, the Obama campaign stated that the statement was taken out of context, and that the phrase referred to "roads and bridges" from the previous sentence.{{cite web|url=http://www.barackobama.com/truth-team/entry/fact-check-what-president-obama-actually-said-about-small-businesses|title=Fact check: What President Obama actually said about small businesses|date=July 17, 2012|work=Truth team|publisher=Obama for America|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122091212/http://www.barackobama.com/truth-team/entry/fact-check-what-president-obama-actually-said-about-small-businesses/ |archive-date=2012-11-22 |access-date=2016-01-26}} As the statement gained traction, the campaign ran new ads in multiple states (Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, and Nevada) where the President directly countered Romney's claims.{{cite news|title=SPIN METER: Obama's 'You didn't build that' echoes|author=Philip Elliot|url=http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/perspective/spin-meter-obama-s-you-didn-t-build-that-echoes/article_e6f8589f-871a-5ac9-bc63-94d629f93545.html|newspaper=North County Times|date=July 29, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}}{{cite video|people=Barack Obama|year=2012|title="Always" – Obama for America TV Ad|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0yK5NakN2o&feature=player_embedded|format=360p|publisher=BarackObamadotcom|access-date=August 14, 2012}} In the ad Obama says while looking directly at the camera: {{quote|Those ads taking my words about small business out of context? They're flat out wrong ... Of course Americans build their own businesses.|President Barack Obama}}

While speaking at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon, on July 24,{{cite news|title=Barack Obama in Portland campaigns right down the middle|author=David Sorasohn|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/david_sarasohn/index.ssf/2012/07/barack_obama_in_portland_campa.html|newspaper=The Oregonian|date=July 28, 2012|access-date=August 28, 2012}} Obama rebuked the Romney campaign by saying:

{{quote|And Mr. Romney disagrees with this, and he is entitled to his opinion. But the approach that he is talking about is not going to help small businesses and it's not going to create more markets for large businesses. He is wrong. We did not build this country on our own. We built it together. And if Mr. Romney doesn't understand that, then he doesn't understand what it takes to grow this economy in the 21st century for everybody.|President Obama{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/24/remarks-president-campaign-event-0|title=Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event|date=July 24, 2012|via=National Archives|work=whitehouse.gov|access-date=August 27, 2012}}}}

Although the remark was not initially seen as significant,{{by who|date=October 2021}} it soon gained traction among Republicans,{{cite news |title=Obama's 'You didn't build that' problem |author=Aaron Blake |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/obamas-you-didnt-build-that-problem/2012/07/18/gJQAJxyotW_blog.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 18, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}} and was used as a hashtag on Twitter.{{cite news |title=Republicans pouncing on Obama's 'you didn't build that' remark |author=Kathleen Hennessey |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-republicans-pouncing-on-obamas-you-didnt-build-that-remark-20120718,0,4148346.story |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=July 18, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}} The phrase was used by the Romney campaign to build a political meme.{{cite news |title=The Rise of Romney's "You Didn't Build That" Meme |author=Juli Weiner |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2012/07/The-Rise-of-Romneys-You-Didnt-Build-That-Meme |newspaper=Vanity Fair |date=July 18, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}} The Washington Post identified the quote in full in the Top 10 political quotes of 2012 in their article of December 28, 2012.{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=28 December 2012 |title=The top 10 political quotes of 2012 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/12/28/the-top-10-political-quotes-of-2012/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=18 September 2014 }}

An opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal on July 17, 2012, stated that the speech is a "burst of ideological candor" and that the statement meant that "the self-made man is an illusion".{{cite news|title='You Didn't Build That'|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304388004577533300916053684 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=July 17, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}} In another Wall Street Journal piece, James Taranto wrote that "The president's remark was a direct attack on the principle of individual responsibility, the foundation of American freedom."{{cite news|title=You Didn't Sweat, He Did|author=James Taranto|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444873204577535053434972374 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=July 18, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}} Later, Kimberley Strassel wrote that the portion of the speech that spoke about Obama's views on the relationship between business and government was similar to statements made by Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and that the effect of the speech was to "suck away the president's momentum".{{cite news|title=Four Little Words: Why the Obama campaign is suddenly so worried|author=Kimberley A. Strassel|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443931404577551344018773450 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=July 26, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}}

In The Washington Post, Jennifer Rubin wrote that the statement showed that Obama "revealed a level of resentment toward the private sector that was startling, even to his critics", and that the speech reflects that "the anti-business assaults become the campaign. Meanwhile, his affection for government becomes a chip on his shoulder, prompting him to dare those private-sector wise guys to deny the centrality of government in their success."{{cite news|title=Obama is losing his message like nobody's business|author=Jennifer Rubin|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/obama-is-losing-his-message-like-nobodys-business/2012/07/24/gJQAy1yK6W_blog.html?wprss=rss_right-turn|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 24, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}} Glenn Kessler later said that the Obama statement was taken out of context and that he was speaking about higher taxes for the wealthy, comparing individual initiative to the system of many people working to create supporting infrastructure.{{cite news|title=What did Obama mean when he said, 'you didn't build that'?—Gaffe Check Video|author=Glenn Kessler|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-did-obama-mean-when-he-said-you-didnt-build-that--gaffe-check-video/2012/08/09/988bf7d6-e260-11e1-a25e-15067bb31849_video.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 13, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}}

In The Atlantic, Andrew Cline wrote that what Obama said was an "enormous controversy – a philosophical rewriting of the American story" and that "With his Roanoke speech, Obama turned Jefferson on his head. In Obama's formulation, government is not a tool for the people's use, but the very foundation upon which all of American prosperity is built. Government is not dependent upon the people; the people are dependent upon the government." This, Cline writes, is fundamentally non-Jeffersonian.{{cite news|title=What 'You Didn't Build That' Really Means—and Why Romney Can't Explain It|author=Andrew Cline|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/08/what-you-didnt-build-that-really-means-and-why-romney-cant-explain-it/260984/#|newspaper=The Atlantic|date=August 10, 2012|access-date=August 17, 2012}} Earlier in the same publication, Clive Crook wrote that Obama's statements did not mean what his critics wrote they meant, but that the caricature resonates due to it being recognizable as part of his theme of the "rich aren't paying their fair share".{{cite news|title=There's No Such Thing as Building a Business|author=Clive Crook|author-link=Clive Crook|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/07/theres-no-such-thing-as-building-a-business/260157/#|newspaper=The Atlantic|date=July 22, 2012|access-date=August 17, 2012}} Jonah Goldberg, in the National Review, wrote that Obama's "gaffe" was at best truism, and the reason for Obama's supporters attacking others, for taking Obama's words and progressive roots seriously, is because they do not portray Obama as a pragmatist and a moderate.{{cite news|title=Co-sponsoring Your Success|author=Jonah Goldberg|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/310080/co-sponsoring-your-success-jonah-goldberg|work=National Review Online|date=July 20, 2012|access-date=August 28, 2012}}

Guy Benson, on Townhall.com, wrote that the Romney campaign did not take Obama's words out of context since "Obama essentially posits that no private or individual success is possible in America without the government's help."{{cite web|url=http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2012/07/19/no_conservatives_arent_taking_you_didnt_build_that_out_of_context|title=No, Conservatives Aren't Taking 'You Didn't Build That' Out of Context|author=Guy Benson|author-link=Guy Benson|date=August 19, 2012|work=Townhall.com|publisher=Salem Communications|access-date=August 19, 2012}} Rachael Larimore, in Slate, wrote that it did not matter what Obama meant to say, as conservatives heard "You didn't get credit for your hard work", and even with the context of the entire speech, the reaction would be largely the same. More importantly, it damaged his relations with small-business owners.{{cite news|title="You Didn't Build That" Isn't Going Away|author=Rachael Larimore|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2012/08/_you_didn_t_build_that_it_doesn_t_matter_what_obama_meant_to_say_but_what_people_heard_.html|publisher=Slate|date=August 30, 2012|access-date=September 4, 2012}} Rush Limbaugh commented that business owners did build the roads and bridges through their taxes, and that Obama wants to socialize private profit.{{cite web|url=http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/07/23/an_incomprehensible_defense_of_obama_s_you_didn_t_build_that_philosophy|title=An Incomprehensible Defense of Obama's "You Didn't Build That" Philosophy|date=August 23, 2012|work=RushLimbaugh.com|publisher=Premiere Radio Networks|access-date=August 20, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/07/24/the_most_telling_moment_of_obama_s_presidency_you_didn_t_build_that|title=The Most Telling Moment of Obama's Presidency: "You Didn't Build That"|date=August 24, 2012|work=RushLimbaugh.com|publisher=Premiere Radio Networks|access-date=August 20, 2012}} Mark Levin, in reaction to the speech, said that Obama was "disrespecting the American people" and that "he despises the capitalist system".{{cite video|people=Mark Levin|year=2012|title=Romney Goes On Offense, Mark Levin Reacts|url=http://townhall.com/video/romney-goes-on-offense-mark-levin-reacts|publisher=Fox News|location=New York|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822020858/http://townhall.com/video/romney-goes-on-offense-mark-levin-reacts|archive-date=August 22, 2012|access-date=August 28, 2012}} [http://video.foxnews.com/v/1739918677001 Alt URL] Josh Barro, in Bloomberg, wrote that Obama's speech was needlessly insulting, and that the statement resonated badly with people of all income levels.{{cite news|title=Why 'You Didn't Build That' Resonates|author=Josh Barro|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-30/why-you-didn-t-build-that-resonates.html|publisher=Bloomberg|date=July 30, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}}

In researching the 2002 Winter Olympics, NBC News' Domenico Montanaro posited that Romney had made a similar statement during his speech during those games' opening ceremony, where he said:{{quote|Tonight we cheer the Olympians, who only yesterday were children themselves. As we watch them over the next 16 days, we affirm that our aspirations, and those of our children and grandchildren, can become reality. We salute you Olympians – both because you dreamed and because you paid the price to make your dreams real. You guys pushed yourself, drove yourself, sacrificed, trained and competed time and again at winning and losing.
You Olympians, however, know you didn't get here solely on your own power. For most of you, loving parents, sisters or brothers, encouraged your hopes, coaches guided, communities built venues in order to organize competitions. All Olympians stand on the shoulders of those who lifted them. We've already cheered the Olympians, let's also cheer the parents, coaches, and communities. All right!|Mitt Romney{{cite news|title=Romney to Olympians: 'You didn't get here solely on your own'|author=Domenico Montanaro|url=http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/23/12904508-romney-to-olympians-you-didnt-get-here-solely-on-your-own?lite|work=NBC News|date=July 23, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}}}}

In The Huffington Post, Michael Smerconish wrote that the Romney campaign did take the words out of context, and that the message of the importance of social contracts was better worded by Warren.{{cite news|title='You Didn't Build That!' in Context|author=Michael Smerconish|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-smerconish/you-didnt-build-that-in-c_b_1721794.html|work=The Huffington Post|date=July 30, 2012|access-date=August 12, 2012}} Nelson Davis, president of Nelson Davis Productions, rebuked the conservatives' take on what Obama had said in Roanoke, saying that the reason why the United States has become great is due to business and government working together.{{cite news|title=We Did Build That|author=Nelson Davis|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nelson-davis/we-did-build-that_b_1703997.html|work=The Huffington Post|date=July 26, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}} Keeping with the "You didn't build that" meme, Alan Colmes wrote that Romney will not have sewed his suit, would not have built the stage used during the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa Bay, Florida, and that his success at Bain Capital would not have been possible without government assistance.{{cite news|title=I Didn't Write This|author=Alan Colmes|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-colmes/romney-republican-convention_b_1834278.html|work=The Huffington Post|date=August 27, 2012|access-date=August 28, 2012}} Anthony Gregory, of The Independent Institute, wrote that the implication of the speech was that the "state protects business interests so taxpayers have a partial claim on the wealth produced."{{cite news|title=Then, Who DID Build It, Mr. President?|author=Anthony Gregory|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anthony-gregory/obama-business_b_1687374.html|work=The Huffington Post|date=July 24, 2012|access-date=August 19, 2012}} Michael Cohen writing for The Guardian stated that the Republicans' usage of the phrase exemplifies that they "not only toil in their own narrowly and misleadingly constructed world, but really are just making stuff up."

In the New York Magazine, Jonathan Chait wrote that Romney's use of the words from the Roanoke speech as a "plan of blatantly lying" about it, and the reason why it works is because of a "broader subtext" of the speech due to Obama not using his normal voice, but speaking with a "black dialect".{{cite news |title=The Real Reason 'You Didn't Build That' Works|author=Jonathan Chait|url=http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/07/real-reason-you-didnt-build-that-works.html |publisher=New York|date=July 27, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}} In Bloomberg Businessweek, Charles Kenny of the Center for Global Development also criticized the Romney campaign for taking the word out of context, and went on to state that American businesses benefit from infrastructure, and other elements of the "system" that Obama was speaking about in the speech.{{cite news|title=Sorry, Mitt: Businesses Aren't Built on Their Own|author=Charles Kenny|url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-07-22/sorry-mitt-businesses-arent-built-on-their-own|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725063540/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-07-22/sorry-mitt-businesses-arent-built-on-their-own|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 25, 2012|publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek|date=July 22, 2012|access-date=August 17, 2012}} Media Matters made several posts targeting Fox News,{{cite web|url=http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/08/17/fox-hypes-romney-campaign-attack-on-obama-based/189426|title=Fox Hypes Romney Campaign Attack On Obama Based On Deceptively Edited Comments|author=Andy Newbold|date=August 17, 2012|work=Blog|publisher=Media Matters for America|access-date=August 19, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/07/25/fox-claims-to-offer-context-for-obama-comments/187323|title=Fox Claims To Offer "Context" For Obama Comments -- Then Airs Another Deceptively Edited Clip|author=Justin Berrier|date=July 25, 2012|work=Blog|publisher=Media Matters for America|access-date=August 19, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/07/16/fox-amp-friends-deceptively-edits-obamas-commen/187146|title=Fox & Friends Deceptively Edits Obama's Comments On Small Business|author=Remington Shepard|date=July 16, 2012|work=Blog|publisher=Media Matters for America|access-date=August 19, 2012}} and other news sources that Media Matters claimed were using Obama's words out of context through "deceptive" editing.{{cite web|url=http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/07/27/local-news-outlets-help-push-bogus-build-that-a/187372|title=Local News Outlets Help Push Bogus "Build That" Attack Against Obama|author=Mike Burns |author2=Marcus Feldman|date=July 27, 2012|work=Research|publisher=Media Matters for America|access-date=August 19, 2012}} Ezra Klein, on The Rachel Maddow Show, said that the political statements made in the Roanoke speech were not particularly controversial, and that people rely on others and themselves.{{cite news|title=Romney apparently didn't build bogus attack on Obama|url=http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-rachel-maddow-show/48294948#48294948|publisher=MSNBC|date=July 24, 2012|access-date=August 28, 2012}}{{dead link|date=August 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

FactCheck.org said that the Romney campaign and Republicans have used quotations from the speech out of context, failing to include Obama's remarks about how infrastructure and education promote business success. In an update to the post, responses from the Obama campaign were added, explaining the president's intended meanings of infrastructure and education. FactCheck.org said "We don't know what the president had in mind when he uttered those words, and his intent is not clear. Regardless, our conclusion is the same: Taking snippets of his speech ignores the larger context of the president's meaning that a business owner does not become successful 'on your own.'" Romney was commended, however, for acknowledging Obama's wider context in a July 17 campaign speech Romney gave criticizing Obama's "You didn't build that" remark.

Politifact also criticized Romney advertisements, saying that the Romney campaign, "cherry-picked a quote that made it sound like Obama was dismissive of businesses when in fact he was making a point that success comes from the combination of 'individual initiative' and the fact that 'we do things together'", and that by doing so "Romney and his supporters have misled viewers and given a false impression."

On The Daily Show, a news satire program, Jon Stewart said that the Romney campaign was centering its campaign on a grammatical misstep taken out of context;{{cite news |title=WATCH: Jon Stewart Nails Mitt Romney For Basing His Entire Campaign On Obama's Out-Of-Context Quote |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/jon-stewart-mitt-romney-obama-out-context-you-didnt-build-that-2012-7 |publisher=Business Insider |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}}{{cite news |title=Jon Stewart Chips Away at 'You Didn't Build That' |author=Serena Dai |url=http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/07/jon-stewart-chips-away-you-didnt-build/55044/ |publisher=The Atlantic Wire |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=August 20, 2012}}{{cite news |title=Jon Stewart Slams You-Didn't-Build-That-Gate In Romney, Fox News' Faces (VIDEO) |author=Carol Hartsell |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/26/jon-stewart-you-didnt-build-that_n_1705264.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=August 19, 2012}} he additionally said that both campaigns are guilty of focusing on gaffes, though Romney had taken it "one giant step further".{{cite news |title=Late Night: Jon Stewart rips Romney, Fox on Obama 'misrepresentation' |author=Meredith Blake |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-jon-stewart-romney-obama-you-didnt-build-that-20120726,0,2347436.story |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=August 20, 2012}} On The Colbert Report, another news satire program, Stephen Colbert attempted to demonstrate that he is the only one responsible for his show's success by doing a segment of the program as a one man show, using an iPhone, desk lamp, and a whiteboard.{{cite news |title=Colbert's One-Man Show Proves Obama Wrong: Host Does 'The Word' By Himself (VIDEO) |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/26/colbert-one-man-show-proves-obama-wrong_n_1706685.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=August 21, 2012}}{{cite news |title=Colbert Jabs Romney for Defending Obama's Business Sentiments |author=Debra Pangestu |url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/entertainment/television/NATL-Colbert-Jabs-Romney-for-Defending-Obamas-Business-Sentiments-163832516.html |publisher=WMAQ-TV |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=August 21, 2012}} "It didn't go so well", Meredith Blake of the LA Times reported. On The Tonight Show, Jay Leno during his opening monologue made a play on Obama's statement in regards to unemployment.{{cite video |people=Jay Leno |year=2012 |title=Monologue, Part 1 (7/19/12) |url=http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/Monologue-Part-1-71912/1410526 |publisher=NBC |access-date=August 17, 2012 |time=1:04 |quote=Jobless claims rose again by 35,000 last week. Not good. But it does show that if you're unsuccessful in this country, you didn't do it on your own. You had help. Thank you, President Obama. Thank you. You're not alone, you didn't do it alone. }} Additionally, the controversy created by the speech has become the subject of numerous editorial cartoons.{{cite web |url=http://www.cagle.com/news/obama-defines-success/ |title=Obama defines success |author1=Gary Varvel |author-link=Gary Varvel |author2=Michael Ramirez |author2-link=Michael Ramirez |author3=Steve Kelley |author3-link=Steve Kelley (cartoonist) |date=August 11, 2012 |work=Political cartoonists index |publisher=Cagle Cartoons, Inc. |access-date=August 17, 2012}} At the 2012 Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, both Obama's and Romney's comedy routines included jokes with the punchline, "You [didn't] build that."{{cite web | url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/10/19/remarks-president-2012-alfred-e-smith-dinner | title= Remarks by the President at the 2012 Alfred E. Smith Dinner | date= October 19, 2012 | access-date=19 October 2024 | archive-date=12 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240612182846/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/10/19/remarks-president-2012-alfred-e-smith-dinner | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2013/11/19/18625794/transcript-video-mitt-romney-jokes-at-the-alfred-e-smith-dinner | title= Transcript, video: Mitt Romney jokes at the Alfred E. Smith dinner | date= November 20, 2013 | access-date=19 October 2024 }}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/307056-2 C-SPAN video of entire speech]
• [https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/13/remarks-president-campaign-event-roanoke-virginia White House transcript of entire speech]

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