In Other People’s Words: Our Favourite Quotes On Trump
To say that Donald Trump has struck a cord with the US pulic would be an understatement. He has probably become the most divisive figure in American political history perhaps since Richard Nixon, and that’s no compliment.
In our daily work we speak to many people about many different topics and one that comes up every time is this inherently magnetic topic of the U.S. elections and Donald Trump. With just one week to go until election day, we recall some of our favourite quotes from people we have interviewed about the golden-quaffed man and the election cycle. Lets just say the common thread isn’t so warm.
“A lot of evangelicals are reporting that they love Donald Trump’s honesty. Well that’s an amazing thing for a man who clearly creates fabrications all the time. To be impressed by his honesty means you’re not being skeptical of what you hear. And we need to be skeptical if we’re going to make any progress.” – Cosmologist, Lawrence Krauss
“Donald Trump’s message to people is very simple, “your life is hard, your life is difficult, your prospects are poor, and it’s all because of someone else. Your condition is because of Mexicans, Muslims and Chinese people. I will beat them up and you will feel restored. That message is hauntingly familiar.” – Host G.P.S. host CNN, Fareed Zakaria
“They assume Trump will get things done. And I believe he would, too. I think he would get done, quickly, the unravelling of the economy and most of the core principles of American democracy and the rule of law. So let’s say my mood is one of great concern.” – Author, Dave Eggers
“The Dalai Lama has more followers on Twitter than Donald Trump (but only half as many as Kanye West). But there is a lesson here — self-promotion and attention seeking can work to build a brand. It isn’t the only way, but it is a successful one.” – Psychologist, W. Keith Campbell
“I could find something appealing about Donald Trump because he sort of speaks to a very adolescent part of myself. But then I can also realise – wait, we need an adult to run our country. So that’s where I sit. There’s a part of me that loves the honesty that I hear, but that part of me is probably fifteen years old. The person in me who really recognises what a leader should be is the adult.” – Actor, Jake Gyllenhaal
“It feels to me that we should create the kind of leadership that we are proud of. I am completely disgusted and ashamed of Donald Trump. He is intentionally a divisive character who is appealing to the baser instincts of a group of people and amplifying their tribal connection. And he’s doing it to get something for him, not for anybody else.” – Thought leader, Seth Godin
“Incomes are flat, millions have lost good-paying manufacturing jobs, and in the Great Recession many lost their houses. Blacks got civil rights, gays began to marry, and men lost the right to rule the roost. What science tells us is that when people face circumstances like this they vote against the incumbents and go for outsiders or for politicians who exploit their fears. That favored Trump.” – Author, Rick Shenkman
