--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the voters who voted for Donald…" description: "\"I think the voters who voted for Donald Trump certainly are willing to tolerate a lot of ugliness, but maybe, if you're in desperate circumstances, or ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/david-brooks-644_america_i-think-the-voters-who-voted-for-donald_1485617.jpg" --- # I think the voters who voted for Donald Trump certainly… ![“I think the voters who voted for Donald Trump certainly are willing to tolerate a lot of ugliness, but maybe, if you're in desperate circumstances, or you think America is deeply in trouble, you're willing to tolerate that without necessarily liking it.” quote by David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/david-brooks-644_america_i-think-the-voters-who-voted-for-donald_1485617.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/david-brooks-644_america_i-think-the-voters-who-voted-for-donald_1485617.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/david-brooks-644_america_i-think-the-voters-who-voted-for-donald_1485617.jpg) > “I think the voters who voted for Donald Trump certainly are willing to tolerate a lot of ugliness, but maybe, if you're in desperate circumstances, or you think America is deeply in trouble, you're willing to tolerate that without necessarily liking it.” [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. People may accept undesirable leaders when they feel desperate or fear national decline, even without genuine support. **In simple terms:** Desperate times can make people accept ugly leaders. Key Takeaway Recognize when fear drives political choices. Themes politics leadership public opinion Mood concerned critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - election cycles - crisis periods - media narratives - public debates Key Concepts psychology cognitive bias social pressure Questions to Reflect On - What conditions make you tolerate a leader you dislike? - How can societies resist fear‑driven politics? A Different Perspective Acceptance may be temporary and can erode democratic norms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Desperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Ugliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugliness/) [Voters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voters/) ## Related quotes > [Maybe you're willing to tolerate a lot of bigotry from Donald Trump if you say, just change things, just change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/maybe-you-re-willing-to-tolerate-a-lot-of-bigotry-from-donald-trump/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Be willing to tolerate discomfortbeing uncomfortable is often the price for making a real difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknonw/be-willing-to-tolerate-discomfortbeing-uncomfortable-is-often-the/) [Unknonw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknonw/) > [These days, as I am older and wiser, I realize that there is a danger in becoming an icon, as people can see you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-armani/these-days-as-i-am-older-and-wiser-i-realize-that-there-is-a-danger/) [Giorgio Armani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-armani/) > [Donald Trump may be running for president. He said he is sick and tired of the rest of the world laughing at the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/donald-trump-may-be-running-for-president-he-said-he-is-sick-and/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [We tend to get in life what we are willing to tolerate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/we-tend-to-get-in-life-what-we-are-willing-to-tolerate/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [The Internet didn't cause Donald Trump, and it certainly can't solve Donald Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/the-internet-didn-t-cause-donald-trump-and-it-certainly-can-t-solve/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [I would say, when Paul Ryan was running for vice president last time, they lost eight of the nine swing states, and people like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/i-would-say-when-paul-ryan-was-running-for-vice-president-last-time/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [Well, Trump is certainly not my hero. I'm sorry to say that, but that's true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/well-trump-is-certainly-not-my-hero-i-m-sorry-to-say-that-but-that-s/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [You will never change anything that you are willing to tolerate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/you-will-never-change-anything-that-you-are-willing-to-tolerate/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [I think it's true that Mike Pence, having been a politician for much longer than President Trump, certainly has a measured way of answering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-maccallum/i-think-it-s-true-that-mike-pence-having-been-a-politician-for-much/) [Martha MacCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-maccallum/) > [Energy is in America. And if we can tap into that safely and appropriately, I guarantee that is something that President Trump will certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/energy-is-in-america-and-if-we-can-tap-into-that-safely-and/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [“Be willing to tolerate discomfort—being uncomfortable is often the price for making a real difference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ritter/be-willing-to-tolerate-discomfort-being-uncomfortable-is-often-the/) [Al Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ritter/) > [I think most voters want to believe and do believe in the American dream. I think when they see examples of that being true,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/i-think-most-voters-want-to-believe-and-do-believe-in-the-american/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [I don't think that voters should be fixated on public policy. In a healthy republic, they wouldn't have to worry every waking hour about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/i-don-t-think-that-voters-should-be-fixated-on-public-policy-in-a/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [I think the voters can make up their own minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/i-think-the-voters-can-make-up-their-own-minds/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) ## 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 America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [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/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. 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