US Trends

who said my fellow americans

The phrase “my fellow Americans” is most strongly associated with U.S. presidents, especially Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and many others across the 20th century. It is not a quote from just one person, but a standard rhetorical opening used by many presidents when addressing the nation.

Who said “my fellow Americans”?

  • Franklin D. Roosevelt helped popularize the exact phrase in major national addresses, including his inaugural and radio speeches, making it widely recognized across the country.
  • Lyndon B. Johnson used “my fellow Americans” so frequently in State of the Union and other televised speeches that many people associate the phrase especially with him.
  • Other presidents such as Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan also opened important addresses with “my fellow Americans,” turning it into a staple of presidential speechmaking rather than a line owned by one individual.

In short, when people ask “who said ‘my fellow Americans’?”, the most historically important answer is that multiple U.S. presidents have used it, with FDR helping to popularize it and later presidents cementing it as a familiar presidential greeting.