Fact Check: Did DOGE stop $2.6M annual payment to Barack Obama for 'Obamacare royalties'?
WASHINGTON, DC: In February 2025, a claim that the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) stopped a $2.6 million annual payment to former president Barack Obama for "royalties associated with Obamacare" gained significant traction on social media.
The post, originally shared by the Facebook account “America's Last Line Of Defense” (ALLOD), quickly spread online, garnering thousands of reactions and shares.
Claim: Barack Obama is getting royalties from Obamacare
The post claimed that the taxpayer money that Barack Obama had been receiving for the use of his name in connection with the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare) was halted by DOGE recently.
The post was captioned, "He's been charging the taxpayer for using his name, even though the actual name of Obamacare is 'The Affordable Care Act.'"
The text on the post read, "DOGE stopped an annual payment to Barack Obama for $2.6 million for "royalties associated with Obamacare." He's been collecting it since 2010, for a total of $39 million taxpayer dollars."
As of this writing, the post had received more than 3,300 reactions and had been shared more than 6,500 times.
Origin of claim about Barack Obama receiving $2.6M in Obamacare royalties
The source of this claim is “The Dunning-Kruger Times,” a satirical website also known as “America’s Last Line of Defense” (ALLOD). The website is known for posting exaggerated, fictional stories and explicitly states that its content is not real.
The site’s About Page reads, "Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie and it is not fake news because it is not real. If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined."
It further read, "Any similarities between this site's pure fantasy and actual people, places, and events are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and satirical. "
The website’s Facebook account also has a bio that states, "The flagship of the ALLOD network of trollery and propaganda for cash. Nothing on this page is real."
Despite these clear disclaimers, many readers appear to have taken the post seriously, which has contributed to its spread on social media platforms like Facebook and X.
Fact check: Barack Obama has never received royalties for Obamacare
Contrary to the claim, there is no evidence that Barack Obama has ever received any form of “royalty” payments related to the Affordable Care Act, as per Snopes. Like all former US presidents, Obama is entitled to an annual pension, but this pension is unrelated to Obamacare.
The rumor about Obama collecting royalties seems to be based on a misunderstanding, or deliberate misrepresentation, of how former presidents are compensated.
In reality, former presidents do receive an annual pension, which is provided by the US government as part of the Former Presidents Act. These pensions are public records and are unrelated to any legislation or the use of a president’s name in a law.
The claim that Obama received $2.6 million annually for using his name in connection with the Affordable Care Act is completely unfounded.
