--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I generally think the president [Donald…" description: "\"I generally think the president [Donald Trump] should get his Cabinet picks, unless they're egregiously out of the range, either ethically or intellect..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/david-brooks-644_acceptable_i-generally-think-the-president-donald-t_1369550.png" --- # I generally think the president \[Donald Trump\] should get… ![“I generally think the president [Donald Trump] should get his Cabinet picks, unless they're egregiously out of the range, either ethically or intellectually out of the range of what's acceptable.” quote by David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/david-brooks-644_acceptable_i-generally-think-the-president-donald-t_1369550.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/david-brooks-644_acceptable_i-generally-think-the-president-donald-t_1369550.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/david-brooks-644_acceptable_i-generally-think-the-president-donald-t_1369550.png) > “I generally think the president \[Donald Trump\] should get his Cabinet picks, unless they're egregiously out of the range, either ethically or intellectually out of the range of what's acceptable.” [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cabinet selections should be vetted for ethical and intellectual suitability. **In simple terms:** Choose qualified, ethical leaders. Key Takeaway Prioritize competence and ethics in appointments. Themes politics ethics leadership Mood analytical concerned Type commentary political When to use this quote - government hiring - corporate board selection Key Concepts public policy political theory Questions to Reflect On - What criteria matter most in leaders? - How to balance expertise and ethics? A Different Perspective Political realities may limit ideal choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Trump's cabinet picks seem designed to unwind government itself, leaving the average citizen completely exposed and vulnerable to full exploitation by corporate interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/trump-s-cabinet-picks-seem-designed-to-unwind-government-itself/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) > [I don't blame the Democrats for fighting. They have got a very energized base. And there is a lot to complain about a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-don-t-blame-the-democrats-for-fighting-they-have-got-a-very/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I worry about the lack of experience that Rex Tillerson has had on the diplomatic front and, frankly, I think that's true for many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-worry-about-the-lack-of-experience-that-rex-tillerson-has-had-on/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [Everybody's complaining about all of Trump's cabinet members, how rich they are, that's horrible. I'd rather have that than a bunch of people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/everybody-s-complaining-about-all-of-trump-s-cabinet-members-how-rich/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ They \[people from the Donald Trump cabinet\] haven't had experience in the areas that they're being asked to manage in a very complicated world… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/they-people-from-the-donald-trump-cabinet-haven-t-had-experience-in/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [ Why aren't Democrats voting against President \[Donald\] Trump's cabinet nominees en masse? Is it because they're just a bunch soft-headed Beltway lifers who don't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/why-aren-t-democrats-voting-against-president-donald-trump-s-cabinet/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) > [ I wish we had more \[Dwight\] Eisenhower Republicans in this \[Donald\]Trump cabinet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-dionne/i-wish-we-had-more-dwight-eisenhower-republicans-in-this-donald-trump/) [E. J. Dionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-j-dionne/) > [First of all, Donald Trump cabinet or - I call it the 3-G cabinet, Goldman, generals and gazillionaires. And I think it's one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/first-of-all-donald-trump-cabinet-or-i-call-it-the-3-g-cabinet/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [I can't imagine that being in the Trump Cabinet will be a very important job. I do think this will be a White House-run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-can-t-imagine-that-being-in-the-trump-cabinet-will-be-a-very/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Generally, I think my work has so much influence because of its reasonableness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/generally-i-think-my-work-has-so-much-influence-because-of-its/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [People generally think that it is the world, the environment, external relationships, which stand in one's way, in the way of ones' good fortune...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/people-generally-think-that-it-is-the-world-the-environment-external/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Whether that's questioning the dominant opinion of the day, the conventional wisdom of the day, or whether it's questioning the policies that come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-domenech/whether-that-s-questioning-the-dominant-opinion-of-the-day-the/) [Ben Domenech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-domenech/) > [I generally think if you do good things for people in the world, that comes back and you benefit from it over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/i-generally-think-if-you-do-good-things-for-people-in-the-world-that/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [The most silent people are generally those who think most highly of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-silent-people-are-generally-those-who-think-most-highly-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I generally think that I should only speak by action and not by words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukesh-ambani/i-generally-think-that-i-should-only-speak-by-action-and-not-by-words/) [Mukesh Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukesh-ambani/) ## More by David Brooks > [The brain is not the mind. It is probably impossible to look at a map of brain activity and predict or even understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/the-brain-is-not-the-mind-it-is-probably-impossible-to-look-at-a-map/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [When you're running for president, you're a guest in the living room for four years. And if people don't think you're going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/when-you-re-running-for-president-you-re-a-guest-in-the-living-room/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [“I’ve come to think that flourishing consists of putting yourself in situations in which you lose self-consciousness and become fused with other people, experiences,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-ve-come-to-think-that-flourishing-consists-of-putting-yourself-in/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [We have rapidly increasing technology, which is making life very good for people who are good at using words, and not so good for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/we-have-rapidly-increasing-technology-which-is-making-life-very-good/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I think Barack Obama's foreign policy will be regarded more failure than success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-think-barack-obama-s-foreign-policy-will-be-regarded-more-failure/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [If you know that most processing is below the level of awareness, you learn the value of sleep. You're brain is working on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/if-you-know-that-most-processing-is-below-the-level-of-awareness-you/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Trade has suddenly become massively unpopular. I think that's massively unjust. I think free trade has been wonderful for America on balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/trade-has-suddenly-become-massively-unpopular-i-think-that-s/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Politics is based on social identity, and so, again, there is going to be differences between rural and urban and between left and right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/politics-is-based-on-social-identity-and-so-again-there-is-going-to/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Pain now is better than pain deferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/pain-now-is-better-than-pain-deferred/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [It’s worth noting that you can devote your life to community service and be a total schmuck. You can spend your life on Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/it-s-worth-noting-that-you-can-devote-your-life-to-community-service/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [If it feels all right for you, it's probably OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/if-it-feels-all-right-for-you-it-s-probably-ok/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I do think Donald Trump is a fundamentally unstabilizing force and that the people who swore to uphold the Constitution are going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-do-think-donald-trump-is-a-fundamentally-unstabilizing-force-and/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Tim Kaine has been obviously a governor. He's been a senator. He's one of the smartest rising stars in the Democratic Party. He is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/tim-kaine-has-been-obviously-a-governor-he-s-been-a-senator-he-s-one/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [“Women, in general, are less visually aroused than men, a trait that has nearly cut the market for pornography in half.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/women-in-general-are-less-visually-aroused-than-men-a-trait-that-has/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I wasn't born with a tie or with Mark Shields stapled to my left hip. I have another life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-wasn-t-born-with-a-tie-or-with-mark-shields-stapled-to-my-left-hip/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) [Explore all 431 David Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) ## More Acceptable quotes > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I remember being a kid and seeing the 'National Inquirer' at the grocery store checkout line. When somebody actually picked up a copy, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/i-remember-being-a-kid-and-seeing-the-national-inquirer-at-the/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [You cannot have 300-some million Americans - and really, right, the global citizenry be at risk of having their phone conversations intercepted with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/you-cannot-have-300-some-million-americans-and-really-right-the/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [THE REAL PURPOSE OF HOLOCAUST REVISIONISM IS TO MAKE NATIONAL SOCIALISM AN ACCEPTABLE POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE AGAIN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-covington/the-real-purpose-of-holocaust-revisionism-is-to-make-national/) Harold Covington > [The government has once again made the right socially acceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elfriede-jelinek/the-government-has-once-again-made-the-right-socially-acceptable/) [Elfriede Jelinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elfriede-jelinek/) > [The study of Freemasonry is the study of man as a candidate for a blessed eternity. It furnishes examples of holy living, and displays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-taft/the-study-of-freemasonry-is-the-study-of-man-as-a-candidate-for-a/) [William Howard Taft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-howard-taft/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [If a man is pictured chopping off a woman's breast, it only gets an R rating; but if, God forbid, a man is pictured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-struthers/if-a-man-is-pictured-chopping-off-a-woman-s-breast-it-only-gets-an-r/) Sally Struthers > [We cannot guess the outcome of our actions... Which is why our actions must always be acceptable in themselves, and not as strategies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-heilbrun/we-cannot-guess-the-outcome-of-our-actions-which-is-why-our-actions/) [Carolyn Heilbrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-heilbrun/) > [In any case, open-seat presidential elections like 2008 just are different in character from incumbent reelects, and I think that's the most important thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kristol/in-any-case-open-seat-presidential-elections-like-2008-just-are/) [William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kristol/) > [It's horrible how money and fame can make you acceptable while, if you're not famous or rich, you're not acceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-tonioli/it-s-horrible-how-money-and-fame-can-make-you-acceptable-while-if-you/) [Bruno Tonioli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-tonioli/) > [I disagree with the prevailing point of view of some black leaders that special treatment for blacks is acceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/i-disagree-with-the-prevailing-point-of-view-of-some-black-leaders/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [We get used to a certain kind of colour of form or format, and it's acceptable. 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