evidence: Abraham Lincoln (1869) by George P.A. HealyThe White House [...] Abraham Lincoln (1863, printed 1901) by Alexander Gardner|Rice|Abraham LincolnThe Metropolitan Museum of Art In 2017, the US Republican Party Tweeted an image of Abraham Lincoln alongside this inspiration quote. And although they believed the president was responsible for the words, there’s no evidence at all that Lincoln ever actually said them. So who should get the credit?