Donald Rumsfeld

When I served as US Ambassador to NATO in the 1970s, the center of gravity in Europe was France and Germany.

— Donald Rumsfeld

Many people around the President have sizeable egos before entering government, some with good reason. Their new positions will do little to…

— Donald Rumsfeld

When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.

— Donald Rumsfeld

Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post.

— Donald Rumsfeld

When asked for your views, by the press or others, remember that what they really want to know is the President's views.

— Donald Rumsfeld

If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random.

— Donald Rumsfeld

Reduce the number of lawyers. They are like beavers - they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up.

— Donald Rumsfeld

The purpose of terrorism is to terrorize. It's to change the behavior of the people that are being terrorized.

— Donald Rumsfeld

One thing appears reasonably certain, and that's that those who make allegations of a culture of deception, of intimidation or cover-up need…

— Donald Rumsfeld

Amidst all the clutter, beyond all the obstacles, aside from all the static, are the goals set. Put your head down, do…

— Donald Rumsfeld

You can have a broad popular democracy movement and have it end being taken over by the most vicious people and the…

— Donald Rumsfeld

Walk around. If you are invisible, the mystique of the President's office may perpetuate inaccurate impressions about you or the President, to…

— Donald Rumsfeld

Inspectors do not have the duty or the ability to uncover terrible weapons hidden in a vast country. The responsibility of inspectors…

— Donald Rumsfeld

Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, train them and back them. When errors occur, give sharper guidance. If errors…

— Donald Rumsfeld

We do know that the Iraqi regime has chemical and biological weapons. His regime has amassed large, clandestine stockpiles of chemical weapons…

— Donald Rumsfeld

“Everyone’s saying you can’t do anything until you can do everything, and in life I’ve never found that to be the case.…

— Donald Rumsfeld

Leave the President's family business to him. You will have plenty to do without trying to manage the First Family. They are…

— Donald Rumsfeld

Work continuously to trim the White House staff from your first day to your last. All the pressures are to the contrary.

— Donald Rumsfeld

Don't think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles De Gaulle said, the cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable…

— Donald Rumsfeld

[on Osama bin Laden] He is either alive and well or alive and not too well or not alive.

— Donald Rumsfeld

Let your family, staff, and friends know that you're still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your…

— Donald Rumsfeld

The Secretary of Defense is not a super General or Admiral. His task is to exercise civilian control over the Department for…

— Donald Rumsfeld

After he saw what happened to Saddam Hussein, he (Gadhafi) did not want to be Saddam Hussein. He gave up his nuclear…

— Donald Rumsfeld

When it comes to reconstruction, before we turn to the American taxpayer, we will turn first to the resources of the Iraqi…

— Donald Rumsfeld

I would not say that the future is necessarily less predictable than the past. I think the past was not predictable when…

— Donald Rumsfeld

The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him if you don't tell him the truth.…

— Donald Rumsfeld

Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to 'carry it off.'

— Donald Rumsfeld

A large number of people to begin crawling through those tunnels and caves looking for the bad folks.

— Donald Rumsfeld

In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone.

— Donald Rumsfeld

Certainty without power can be interesting, even amusing. Certainty with power can be dangerous.

— Donald Rumsfeld

A few. . . critics are the only people I ever heard use the phrase 'imminent threat.' I didn't, the president didn't.

— Donald Rumsfeld

I think we ought to have a new rule: You can ask two questions, and then we can pick the one we…

— Donald Rumsfeld

The problem is the people who tend to be the best organized are the most radical and the most vicious.

— Donald Rumsfeld

One of your tasks is to separate the 'personal' from the 'substantive.' The two can become confused, especially if someone rubs the…

— Donald Rumsfeld

Now, settle down, settle down. Hell, I'm an old man, it's early in the morning and I'm gathering my thoughts here.

— Donald Rumsfeld

If bread be what you seek O little mice, Go to some other shelf is my advice; But if upon my books…

— Donald Rumsfeld

It is very difficult to spend "federal (the taxpayers') dollars" so that the intended result is achieved.

— Donald Rumsfeld

Secretary Powell and I agree on every single issue that has ever been before this administration except for those instances where Colin's…

— Donald Rumsfeld

Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance.

— Donald Rumsfeld

Freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.

— Donald Rumsfeld