--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The hard truth is that Trump was not…" description: "\"The hard truth is that Trump was not exceptional. He was just another amoral Western businessman, one of many whom the ex-KGB elite have promoted and s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/anne-applebaum-2544_around-the-world_the-hard-truth-is-that-trump-was-not-exc_182063.png" --- # The hard truth is that Trump was not exceptional. He was… ![“The hard truth is that Trump was not exceptional. He was just another amoral Western businessman, one of many whom the ex-KGB elite have promoted and sponsored around the world, with the hope that they might eventually be of some political or commercial use.” quote by Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/anne-applebaum-2544_around-the-world_the-hard-truth-is-that-trump-was-not-exc_182063.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/anne-applebaum-2544_around-the-world_the-hard-truth-is-that-trump-was-not-exc_182063.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/anne-applebaum-2544_around-the-world_the-hard-truth-is-that-trump-was-not-exc_182063.png) > “The hard truth is that Trump was not exceptional. He was just another amoral Western businessman, one of many whom the ex-KGB elite have promoted and sponsored around the world, with the hope that they might eventually be of some political or commercial use.” [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that Trump is not a unique figure but a typical amoral businessman used by geopolitical elites for their own ends. **In simple terms:** Trump is portrayed as a typical amoral businessman used by elites. Key Takeaway Recognize how elites manipulate ordinary actors for power. Themes politics power manipulation elite influence business ethics Mood skeptical critical analytical Type political analytical When to use this quote - campaign strategy - foreign policy - corporate lobbying - media narratives Key Concepts Geopolitics elite patronage moral relativism Questions to Reflect On - How do elites choose which individuals to promote? - What are the risks of viewing leaders as mere tools? A Different Perspective The claim may oversimplify complex political dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) [Elite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elite/) [Hard Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-truth/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Tell the truth or trump-but get the trick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/tell-the-truth-or-trump-but-get-the-trick/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The left and the media hope Trump is doing a Nixon in the White House. They wish he's in the corner with an adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-left-and-the-media-hope-trump-is-doing-a-nixon-in-the-white-house/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Peace, love, and truth trump hate every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-frampton/peace-love-and-truth-trump-hate-every-time/) [Peter Frampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-frampton/) > [What is the appetite for truth in the Trump White House? That's not a question about the untrue things the president says. It's about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickerson/what-is-the-appetite-for-truth-in-the-trump-white-house-that-s-not-a/) [John Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickerson/) > [“Beloved, there is a truth to Trump’s election that many of you refuse to see: too many white folk are willing to imperil the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/beloved-there-is-a-truth-to-trump-s-election-that-many-of-you-refuse/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [Unlike Marxism, the Leninist one-party state is not a philosophy. It is a mechanism for holding power. It works because it clearly defines who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/unlike-marxism-the-leninist-one-party-state-is-not-a-philosophy-it-is/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [When people ask my advice on a situation I've been in I just give cold hard truth, no use in sugar coating...feelings are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-ask-my-advice-on-a-situation-i-ve-been-in-i-just-give/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I don't wish for the red house back, not really, yet in a way, I wish for everything back that ever was, everything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-kenison/i-don-t-wish-for-the-red-house-back-not-really-yet-in-a-way-i-wish/) [Katrina Kenison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-kenison/) > [“I’m a storyteller. I’ll work to make you believe me. Throw in some real stuff, change a few details, add the certainty of outrage.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/i-m-a-storyteller-i-ll-work-to-make-you-believe-me-throw-in-some-real/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [We must begin by acknowledging a hard truth. We will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations, acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-must-begin-by-acknowledging-a-hard-truth-we-will-not-eradicate/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The willingness to hear hard truth is vital not only for CEOs of big corporations but also for anyone who loves the truth. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-willingness-to-hear-hard-truth-is-vital-not-only-for-ceos-of-big/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [“The hard truth is that if we fail to take time to think deeply about the unsearchable, wonderful, endless depths of the Word of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-armstrong/the-hard-truth-is-that-if-we-fail-to-take-time-to-think-deeply-about/) Aaron Armstrong > [“Lying to ourselves is so much easier than facing the cold hard truth, and the quick way out is often the preferred method for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-allih/lying-to-ourselves-is-so-much-easier-than-facing-the-cold-hard-truth/) [Paul Allih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-allih/) > [“David looked at me, then, the regret plain on his face. No matter what I said, we both knew the hard truth. We do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/david-looked-at-me-then-the-regret-plain-on-his-face-no-matter-what-i/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [Better the hard truth, I say, than the comforting fantasy. And in the final tolling it often turns out that the facts are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/better-the-hard-truth-i-say-than-the-comforting-fantasy-and-in-the/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More by Anne Applebaum > [Quite a lot has been written, including by me, about the effect of social media on politics, and in particular the way in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/quite-a-lot-has-been-written-including-by-me-about-the-effect-of/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [After Trump became president, it was really too late to investigate his dodgy investments in Azerbaijan or his links to Russian money laundering. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/after-trump-became-president-it-was-really-too-late-to-investigate/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Until the attack on Pearl Harbor, isolationism was an important, even dominant strand in U.S. politics. After the Second World War, this strand disappeared,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/until-the-attack-on-pearl-harbor-isolationism-was-an-important-even/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [The U.S.S.R. was a totalitarian state in which judges and prosecutors were controlled by the ruling party. The result was injustice, oppression and corruption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/the-u-s-s-r-was-a-totalitarian-state-in-which-judges-and-prosecutors/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [One knows, of course, that Donald Trump behaves differently from the leaders of other countries, especially the leaders of other Western democracies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/one-knows-of-course-that-donald-trump-behaves-differently-from-the/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [As a nation, we are not good at long-term planning, and no wonder: Our political system insists that every president be allowed to appoint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/as-a-nation-we-are-not-good-at-long-term-planning-and-no-wonder-our/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Amazingly, quite a few people, even some American conservatives, are taken in by Russian tactics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/amazingly-quite-a-few-people-even-some-american-conservatives-are/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Like wealth, or health, political freedom may simply be something that people don't value if they've always had it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/like-wealth-or-health-political-freedom-may-simply-be-something-that/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Unlike most European countries, the police in the US are decentralized; even the FBI has regional offices. Amending the constitution is a long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/unlike-most-european-countries-the-police-in-the-us-are-decentralized/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Politics in Slovakia had long been a battle between egotistical men. Caputova sought to be the anti-ego alternative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/politics-in-slovakia-had-long-been-a-battle-between-egotistical-men/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [European security may now depend on Germany, France, Britain and one or two others, and it's better to start planning now for the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/european-security-may-now-depend-on-germany-france-britain-and-one-or/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Americans might not want to intervene in the outside world, but the outside world will still want to intervene in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/americans-might-not-want-to-intervene-in-the-outside-world-but-the/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Romney was an excellent businessman with a strong record as a public servant - whereas Trump inherited wealth, went bankrupt more than once, created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/romney-was-an-excellent-businessman-with-a-strong-record-as-a-public/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [It isn't citizens, or Congress, who decide how our information network regulates itself. We don't get to decide how information companies collect data, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/it-isn-t-citizens-or-congress-who-decide-how-our-information-network/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) [Explore all 161 Anne Applebaum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) ## More Around the world quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. 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These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It's difficult to believe in yourself because the idea of self is an artificial construction. You are, in fact, part of the glorious oneness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/it-s-difficult-to-believe-in-yourself-because-the-idea-of-self-is-an/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Since 'coming out,' I've marched in gay pride parades all around the world, I've filled my home full of rainbow tat and I've become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/since-coming-out-i-ve-marched-in-gay-pride-parades-all-around-the/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) > [Once, as an experiment, I travelled around the world with a single suit. Before I left, I went to a tailor in Savile Row…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/once-as-an-experiment-i-travelled-around-the-world-with-a-single-suit/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) > [I look at what's happening around the world and I see Iran four years closer to a bomb. I see the Middle East with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-look-at-what-s-happening-around-the-world-and-i-see-iran-four-years/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [“The low point occurred in July, during Romney’s junior week abroad, in which the press became increasingly frustrated over Romney’s refusal to talk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/the-low-point-occurred-in-july-during-romney-s-junior-week-abroad-in/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [I believe there definitely are good things about social networking. It's a way for people to connect all around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzie-velasquez/i-believe-there-definitely-are-good-things-about-social-networking-it/) [Lizzie Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzie-velasquez/) > [“Isn’t everyone on the planet or at least everyone on the planet called me stuck between the two impulses of wanting to walk away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/isn-t-everyone-on-the-planet-or-at-least-everyone-on-the-planet/) [Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/) > [You always can improve and I think that's the beauty of international cricket, particularly test cricket, is playing all around the world against different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane-williamson/you-always-can-improve-and-i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-international/) [Kane Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane-williamson/) > [Trump is reviled around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/trump-is-reviled-around-the-world/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) [Browse all 3,349 Around the world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The hard truth is that Trump was not exceptional. 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