Betsy DeVos' "Grizzly Bear Attacks" Remark — Betsy DeVos speaking with hands raised at her Senate confirmation hearing

Betsy DeVos' "Grizzly Bear Attacks" Remark

2017catchphraseclassic

Published October 19, 2026

In January 2017, Betsy DeVos stunned her Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of Education by suggesting Wyoming schools might need firearms to defend against grizzly bears. Activist DeRay Mckesson clipped the exchange to Twitter that evening, and within 48 hours Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel were mocking the line on late-night TV.

political satire memes gun memes 2017 memes press conference memes sarcasm memes

Overview

Senator Chris Murphy's question about firearms in schools was answered with DeVos pointing to a Wyoming school she said needed guns "to protect from potential grizzlies"1. Her literal reference to bear attacks as justification for guns on campus turned the exchange into the hearing's defining online joke2.

Reactions online took a few shapes: screenshotted quotes from the hearing, photoshops of bears walking through classrooms, and mock endorsements of DeVos's nomination featuring wildlife7. Catch-up threads appeared on Reddit for people confused by the sudden flood of bear references in political feeds6.

Origin & Background

Platform
US Senate hearing (C-SPAN) / Twitter (viral spread)
Creator
Betsy DeVos; meme creator Unknown
Date
2017

On January 17, 2017, during DeVos's Senate HELP Committee confirmation hearing for Secretary of Education under President Donald Trump, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy asked whether "guns have any place in or around our schools"1. DeVos answered that the issue was "best left to locales and states to decide," then pointed to a Wyoming school she said needed firearms "to protect from potential grizzlies"5.

That same evening, activist DeRay Mckesson posted the grizzly bear clip to Twitter, where it drew more than 6,000 likes and 4,900 retweets within 72 hours2.

Loading tweet...

How It Spread

Later that night, Twitter published a Moments page titled "Take a look at what happened at Betsy DeVos' Confirmation Hearing" that gathered jokes and reactions about the grizzlies line3. The following day, Redditor cocakaila submitted a news article about the quote to /r/nottheonion, where it reached more than 19,600 points and 5,200 comments within 48 hours4.

On January 19, Democratic Underground user ehrnst posted a picture of a bear walking down a school hallway with the caption "Confirm Betsy DeVos As Education Secretary Now!"7. Reddit's /r/OutOfTheLoop fielded a catch-up thread from user ThePrussianGrippe asking what the bear jokes were about6. That same evening, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert mocked the hearing in a comedy segment8, and Jimmy Kimmel Live aired a monologue on the quote9.

Timeline

2017-01-17

Betsy DeVos tells the Senate HELP Committee that Wyoming schools might need guns "to protect from potential grizzlies" during her confirmation hearing for Secretary of Education.

2017-01-17

Activist DeRay Mckesson tweets a clip of the grizzly bears exchange, drawing over 6,000 likes and 4,900 retweets inside three days.

2017-01-17

Twitter publishes a Moments page gathering jokes and reactions from the DeVos hearing.

2017-01-18

A /r/nottheonion post about the quote gathers more than 19,600 points and 5,200 comments within 48 hours.

2017-01-19

Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel work the grizzly bears line into their late-night shows; a /r/OutOfTheLoop thread fields confused viewers asking about the bear jokes.

▶

Watch Video

X

How to Use This Meme

Posts referencing the Grizzly Bear Attacks Remark typically combine a screenshot or clip of DeVos's answer with an image of a bear in a school setting, or caption absurd scenes with mock earnest defenses of guns in classrooms against wildlife5. Late-night shows worked the line into monologues the same week8.

Frequently Asked Questions