Does it Really Matter?

In a word... YES. Some say fake news is just some fun that Facebook users engage in. Don't underestimate the importance of such actions-- Americans are increasingly getting their "news" from social media and viral emails. In the absence of professional journalism, these stories become "facts" for many. There are serious consequences of fake news-- such as the story that Melania Trump filed for divorce from Trump over his infidelity, or the stories of "Sharia law" being imposed on various states, or that areas which voted for Clinton have the highest crime rates, or that millions of people are voting illegally, or that Trump was endorsed by Pope Francis (and even Hillary in 2013), or that Trump supporters were shouting that they hate Muslims and racial minorities, or that Hillary Clinton was running a pedophilia ring out of a certain pizza shop, or that Trump was offering one-way tickets to Africa and Mexico for anyone who wanted to leave the U.S., or numerous anti-Clinton stories about the FBI and ISIS, or that Putin has damning personal sexual information on Trump. In many cases, these stories received far greater coverage than reports of professional journalists or the fact-checkers. These sorts of reports result in undeserved backlashes or even hatred against those villified. They cause cynicism and distrust of the political process and legitimate participation. They confuse "the marketplace of ideas" which is so vital to healthy public debate and intelligent policymaking. In some cases they lead to violent attacks. So yes-- it matters.

Neither of the above memes are true.  

Given its interest in celebrity reporting, Trump is often quoted in People Magazine, although most of its stories were about his personal life and marriages and divorces.  There was an article in 1987 claiming that Trump was being recruited by both Democrats and Republicans.  But in no case did Trump make the above quote at least in print in People Magazine or elsewhere.  In fact, the wording is slightly different in some competing memes.  Further, although Fox News was born in 1986, it was only getting started then and wasn't even well-known or considered a conservative network until the 2000 election.  See:  http://www.snopes.com/1998-trump-people-quote

Obama has indeed requested a higher appropriation for ex-presidents--as is his duty as president.  Under the Former Presidents Act, ex-presidents receive a pension, health care, Secret Service protection, and expenses to maintain an office, and limited amounts of travel and supplies.  This year's requested increase covers an additional ex-president (Obama himself) and increased costs of office space and other expenses for the four other former presidents.  See:  http://www.factcheck.org/2016/05/does-obama-want-a-higher-pension

Spouses of ex-presidents get limited temporary benefits, but no other family members are entitled (another fake story claims Michelle Obama's mother is getting $160,000 for life because she was the babysitter for the Obama girls-- a completely fictitious claim).

In both cases, you will see numerous websites still using these memes.  In the case of Trump, readers have posted that they are sure the story is true because they have seen video of him saying it (of course, no video is provided).  Some supporters of Trump's Republican opponents used this meme against him during the Republican primaries.  In the case of Obama, many posts are blatantly racist and hateful.  Many anti-Obama websites used memes and stories like this to discredit his presidency.  So, again...  yes, fake news does matter.