--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I talked to [Donald Trump] about…" description: "\"When I talked to [Donald Trump] about - our intelligence agencies, what I've said to him is - is that there are gonna be times where you've got raw int..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/barack-obama-17_agency_when-i-talked-to-donald-trump-about-our_1376724.jpg" --- # When I talked to \[Donald Trump\] about - our intelligence… ![“When I talked to [Donald Trump] about - our intelligence agencies, what I've said to him is - is that there are gonna be times where you've got raw intelligence that comes in and in my experience, over eight years, the intelligence community is pretty good about saying, "Look, we can't say for…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/barack-obama-17_agency_when-i-talked-to-donald-trump-about-our_1376724.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/barack-obama-17_agency_when-i-talked-to-donald-trump-about-our_1376724.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/barack-obama-17_agency_when-i-talked-to-donald-trump-about-our_1376724.jpg) > “When I talked to \[Donald Trump\] about - our intelligence agencies, what I've said to him is - is that there are gonna be times where you've got raw intelligence that comes in and in my experience, over eight years, the intelligence community is pretty good about saying, "Look, we can't say for certain what this means." But there are gonna be times where the only way you can make a good decision is if you have confidence that the process is working, and the people that you put in charge are giving you their very best assessments.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective decision‑making needs confidence in the intelligence process and trustworthy assessments from leaders. **In simple terms:** Trust good processes and leaders for good decisions. Key Takeaway Ensure reliable intel and competent leadership. Themes leadership decision‑making intelligence trust accountability Mood cautious reflective serious Type analytical political When to use this quote - government policy - military planning - crisis response - corporate strategy Key Concepts risk assessment confidence building organizational integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify the integrity of intelligence? - What safeguards ensure leaders provide honest assessments? A Different Perspective Intelligence can be ambiguous; over‑reliance on confidence may blind to uncertainty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Good decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-decision/) [Have confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/have-confidence/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Intelligence agencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-agencies/) [Intelligence community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-community/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [We know that the Russian's interfered in our election and they did it to benefit President Trump. The intelligence agencies confirmed that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/we-know-that-the-russian-s-interfered-in-our-election-and-they-did-it/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [We believe, from everything we have been told by the intelligence community, by 12 years of history with Iraq, by the experience of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-believe-from-everything-we-have-been-told-by-the-intelligence/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Donald Trump's own intelligence is publicly saying that Russia is actively trying to help him and hurt Joe Biden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-seder/donald-trump-s-own-intelligence-is-publicly-saying-that-russia-is/) [Sam Seder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-seder/) > [There is no question that creative intelligence comes not through learning things you find in books or histories that have already been written, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/there-is-no-question-that-creative-intelligence-comes-not-through/) [Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/) > [Nature shows that with the growth of intelligence comes increased capacity for pain, and it is only with the highest degree of intelligence that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/nature-shows-that-with-the-growth-of-intelligence-comes-increased/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Intelligence comes into being when the mind, the heart and the body are really harmonious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/intelligence-comes-into-being-when-the-mind-the-heart-and-the-body/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Intelligence comes from meditation, intelligence comes from rebellion, intelligence does not come from memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/intelligence-comes-from-meditation-intelligence-comes-from-rebellion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Training the intellect does not result in intelligence. Intelligence comes into being when one acts in perfect harmony, both intellectually and emotionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/training-the-intellect-does-not-result-in-intelligence-intelligence/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“Intelligence comes with hard work and curiosity for the unknown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-llamas/intelligence-comes-with-hard-work-and-curiosity-for-the-unknown/) [Roberto Llamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-llamas/) > [US intelligence agencies will only use such data to meet specific security requirements: counterintelligence, counterterrorism, counterproliferation, cybersecurity, force protection for our troops and allies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/us-intelligence-agencies-will-only-use-such-data-to-meet-specific/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Our intelligence agencies will continue to gather information about the intentions of governments - as opposed to ordinary citizens - around the world, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-intelligence-agencies-will-continue-to-gather-information-about/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The challenges posed by threats like terrorism, proliferation, and cyber attacks are not going away any time soon, and for our intelligence community to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-challenges-posed-by-threats-like-terrorism-proliferation-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ Our intelligence communities spend a lot of time and effort gathering a lot of strands and a lot of data \[on Russian hacking\]. There… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-intelligence-communities-spend-a-lot-of-time-and-effort-gathering/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [One of the things that I've urged the president-elect to do is to develop a strong working relationship with the intelligence community and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/one-of-the-things-that-i-ve-urged-the-president-elect-to-do-is-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think that Mr. Snowden raised some legitimate concerns. How he did it was something that did not follow the procedures and practices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-mr-snowden-raised-some-legitimate-concerns-how-he-did-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Agency quotes > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. 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