--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Donald Trump speaks extemporaneously…" description: "\"Donald Trump speaks extemporaneously, often through stream of consciousness, where it doesn't seem to follow a trajectory.\" — Ben Zimmer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cc/ben-zimmer-47215_consciousness_donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-oft_2778302.jpg" --- # Donald Trump speaks extemporaneously, often through stream… ![“Donald Trump speaks extemporaneously, often through stream of consciousness, where it doesn't seem to follow a trajectory.” quote by Ben Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cc/ben-zimmer-47215_consciousness_donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-oft_2778302.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cc/ben-zimmer-47215_consciousness_donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-oft_2778302.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cc/ben-zimmer-47215_consciousness_donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-oft_2778302.jpg) > “Donald Trump speaks extemporaneously, often through stream of consciousness, where it doesn't seem to follow a trajectory.” [Ben Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-zimmer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trump’s spontaneous, unstructured speech style resembles a stream of consciousness, lacking clear direction or coherence. **In simple terms:** His speech feels random and unfocused. Key Takeaway Seek clarity and structure in communication. Themes politics communication style spontaneity Mood analytical critical Type critical analytical When to use this quote - public speaking - debates - media analysis Key Concepts rhetoric psychology media studies Questions to Reflect On - How does unstructured speech affect listeners? - When is spontaneity valuable? A Different Perspective Spontaneity can also be authentic and engaging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Donald trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/donald-trump/) [Extemporaneously Stream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extemporaneously-stream-3291112/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speaks Extemporaneously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speaks-extemporaneously-3291111/) [Stream Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stream-consciousness-327261/) [Stream of consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stream-of-consciousness/) [Streams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streams/) [Trajectory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trajectory/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Trump Speaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-speaks-436876/) ## Related quotes > [I work a lot with sounds based on stream of consciousness. I like the way it sounds, then I turn it into something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-van-etten/i-work-a-lot-with-sounds-based-on-stream-of-consciousness-i-like-the/) [Sharon Van Etten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-van-etten/) > [Life is a continual flow of events, streaming in from the universal stream of consciousness in such a way that it exactly matches our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/life-is-a-continual-flow-of-events-streaming-in-from-the-universal/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“Our minds are truly the one place where no one else can follow us. Even if we try, if we constantly express every thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-h-aceves/our-minds-are-truly-the-one-place-where-no-one-else-can-follow-us/) [Aaron H. Aceves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-h-aceves/) > [I basically just write stream of consciousness to a certain extent. I let the song kind of go where it wants to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-holter/i-basically-just-write-stream-of-consciousness-to-a-certain-extent-i/) [Julia Holter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-holter/) > [When I write, I usually follow my most inner voice, sometimes called stream of consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidija-dimkovska/when-i-write-i-usually-follow-my-most-inner-voice-sometimes-called/) [Lidija Dimkovska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidija-dimkovska/) > [“Within your mind, there are hardly any lines at all. All its contents flow into each other, sensations becoming thoughts, feelings, desires, actions, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/within-your-mind-there-are-hardly-any-lines-at-all-all-its-contents/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [When people use that stream of consciousness, it's kind of just a term they use for anything that looks slightly different on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/when-people-use-that-stream-of-consciousness-it-s-kind-of-just-a-term/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [For the most part I write very stream of consciousness. I basically need to be recording an entire writing session because it's almost like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/for-the-most-part-i-write-very-stream-of-consciousness-i-basically/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [“When you’re a cork in someone else’s stream of consciousness, all you can do is spin and bob in the eddies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-you-re-a-cork-in-someone-else-s-stream-of-consciousness-all-you/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [My thoughts went round and round and it occurred to me that if I ever wrote a novel it would be of the 'stream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/my-thoughts-went-round-and-round-and-it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-ever/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [When I edit the poems - and I do edit, which some people don't mean when they use the term "stream of consciousness" -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zucker/when-i-edit-the-poems-and-i-do-edit-which-some-people-don-t-mean-when/) [Rachel Zucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zucker/) > [Consciousness... does not appear to itself chopped up in bits. Such words as 'chain' or 'train' do not describe it fitly as it presents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/consciousness-does-not-appear-to-itself-chopped-up-in-bits-such-words/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“Be like a tree standing planted by a dead river bed, until you transform into the confidence of your own stream of consciousness flowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-tyrone-jones/be-like-a-tree-standing-planted-by-a-dead-river-bed-until-you/) [Curtis Tyrone Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-tyrone-jones/) > [“Our brain continuously processes inputs and generates outputs while our stream of consciousness is more like an after-the-fact commentary29.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erman-misirlisoy/our-brain-continuously-processes-inputs-and-generates-outputs-while/) [Erman Misirlisoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erman-misirlisoy/) > [Once I learned how to talk, personally, by myself to any number of people, which means do radio without talking to anyone in particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/once-i-learned-how-to-talk-personally-by-myself-to-any-number-of/) [Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/) ## More by Ben Zimmer > [When words come out of politician's mouth that are linguistically incorrect, people see it reflecting their intelligence. Sarah Palin was called out for "refudiate,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-zimmer/when-words-come-out-of-politician-s-mouth-that-are-linguistically/) [Ben Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-zimmer/) > [Sometimes people are primed to hear in a certain way. When a word like braggadocious suddenly appears, it's like, 'What, is he just making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-zimmer/sometimes-people-are-primed-to-hear-in-a-certain-way-when-a-word-like/) [Ben Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-zimmer/) > [Donald Trump himself has an idiosyncratic speaking style that relies on simple words and phrases, which worked for him in the primaries but may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-zimmer/donald-trump-himself-has-an-idiosyncratic-speaking-style-that-relies/) [Ben Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-zimmer/) > [ Even if you close your eyes, you'll still hear Donald Trump sniffing. 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The term Obamacare was used against Obama in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-zimmer/weaponization-of-a-candidate-s-words-against-him-or-her-is-something/) [Ben Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-zimmer/) [Explore all 8 Ben Zimmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-zimmer/) ## More Consciousness quotes > [“You're never alone if you're with your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/you-re-never-alone-if-you-re-with-your-soul/) [Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/) > [“I now argue that entry into Upper Palaeolithic caves was probably seen as virtually indistinguishable from entry into the mental vortex that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-lewis-williams/i-now-argue-that-entry-into-upper-palaeolithic-caves-was-probably/) [James David Lewis-Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-david-lewis-williams/) > [How wonderful it would be to scatter words as they rise to consciousness, to let them lie where they fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/how-wonderful-it-would-be-to-scatter-words-as-they-rise-to/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [“People and situations always show us what we need to see and learn about ourselves, and when we take responsibility for our own feelings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-mada-dalian/people-and-situations-always-show-us-what-we-need-to-see-and-learn/) [Eliza Mada Dalian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-mada-dalian/) > [With the realization of God comes all power. 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Like Malala Yousafzai…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-gelulla/so-many-people-are-passive-participants-in-their-very-short-time-of/) [Dylan Gelulla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-gelulla/) > [Floating in and out of consciousness...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/floating-in-and-out-of-consciousness/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“The vision teller tells the vision to unguarded minds' of prey. The programmed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/the-vision-teller-tells-the-vision-to-unguarded-minds-of-prey-the/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) [Browse all 6,062 Consciousness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Donald Trump speaks extemporaneously, often through stream of consciousness, where it doesn't seem to follow a trajectory.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ben Zimmer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-zimmer/donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-often-through-stream-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Consciousness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-zimmer/donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-often-through-stream-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cc/ben-zimmer-47215_consciousness_donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-oft_2778302.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cc/ben-zimmer-47215_consciousness_donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-oft_2778302.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cc/ben-zimmer-47215_consciousness_donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-oft_2778302.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Donald Trump speaks extemporaneously, often through stream of consciousness, where it doesn't seem to follow…” — Ben Zimmer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ben Zimmer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-zimmer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Donald Trump speaks extemporaneously, often through...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-zimmer/donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-often-through-stream-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-zimmer/donald-trump-speaks-extemporaneously-often-through-stream-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```