Ivanka Trump misquotes Einstein, gets schooled by physicist’s estate

The Trump administration’s Twitter archives have been a reliable source of amusement and dismay, from President Trump’s policy reversals to new communications director Anthony Scaramucci’s former condemnations of Trump.

Now first daughter Ivanka is getting in on the action. In 2013, she misquoted Albert Einstein — and this week, she’s gotten schooled by Einstein’s estate.

Twitter detectives spotted a quote on her feed from four years ago, and it resurfaced over the weekend: “‘If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts.’ – Albert Einstein #quote #sunday“

“If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts.” – Albert Einstein #quote #sunday

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) June 23, 2013

On Monday, a representative from the theoretical physicist’s estate corrected the record on its official Twitter account.

“We can confirm that Albert Einstein never said this quote,” a user named “Greenlight” wrote. The rep then directed readers to a handy tool for future Einstein quotations: “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein.”

We can confirm that Albert Einstein never said this quote. Here’s a worthy purchase via @PrincetonUPress: https://t.co/FdGWkO1qpz https://t.co/eWTUhskgvR

— Albert Einstein (@AlbertEinstein) July 24, 2017

Twitter offered some other misquotes:

“With my mind on my money and my money on my mind.”
-Sean Spicer #sevenfigurebookdeal
— L. Scott Garver (@LScottGarver) July 23, 2017

“I’mma let you finish, but Beyonce had the best album ever.”
— Benjamin Franklin

— maud’glib (@maudglib) July 24, 2017

It wasn’t the only misattributed quote from the Trump administration that was discovered just this past weekend. In a 2012 tweet, new communications director Anthony Scaramucci offered the quote, “Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like its heaven on earth.” He attributed it to Mark Twain.

Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like its heaven on earth. MarkTwain

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) June 15, 2012

Mark Twain definitely did not say this.

The site Quote Investigator did some digging; according to the “Yale Book of Quotations,” the phrase first appeared in a 1987 song by Susanna Clark and Richard Leigh. (Although it’s not absolutely certain the saying didn’t predate it.)

Twitter immediately gave Scaramucci the Ivanka/Einstein treatment, offering some additional misattributed songs:

“Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down/
Never gonna run around and desert you.” — Sylvia Plath

— ???️?? (@AntiFaMama) July 22, 2017

Mmmbop, ba duba dop
Ba du bop, ba duba dop
Ba du bop, ba duba dop
– John Milton
— Oliver Basciano (@olibasciano) July 21, 2017

“Nothing’s gonna stop us, nothing’s gonna stop us now” – Ernest Hemingway
— JB RogueRefugee™ (@JaybeeStewee) July 21, 2017

Retweeted Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08):@Scaramucci “Na na na na na na na nana
Na na na na nana
Gettin jiggy wit it” — Nelson Mandela

— Mari Cordes, RN (@momdogz) July 22, 2017

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
— Ke$ha

— Owen Williams ??? (@OwsWills) July 21, 2017

If you change your mind, I’m the first in line
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me.
– Confucius

— Canucklehead ?? (@ianmcclellland) July 21, 2017