--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Donald Trump ran for office complaining…" description: "\"Donald Trump ran for office complaining that at $19 trillion, the US debt was completely out of control, and yet what he's planning to do is throw tril..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/david-cay-johnston-10155_complaining_donald-trump-ran-for-office-complaining_1254192.jpg" --- # Donald Trump ran for office complaining that at $19… ![“Donald Trump ran for office complaining that at $19 trillion, the US debt was completely out of control, and yet what he's planning to do is throw trillions of dollars more onto that debt. If the proposed tax plan cuts upon the wealthiest Americans is enacted, 10 years from now America's debt will…” quote by David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/david-cay-johnston-10155_complaining_donald-trump-ran-for-office-complaining_1254192.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/david-cay-johnston-10155_complaining_donald-trump-ran-for-office-complaining_1254192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/david-cay-johnston-10155_complaining_donald-trump-ran-for-office-complaining_1254192.jpg) > “Donald Trump ran for office complaining that at $19 trillion, the US debt was completely out of control, and yet what he's planning to do is throw trillions of dollars more onto that debt. If the proposed tax plan cuts upon the wealthiest Americans is enacted, 10 years from now America's debt will be over $30 trillion. And so, he's contradicting, his own stated positions. And that's because, to Donald, none of this is about policy. It's not about sound economics. It's about greed and the glorification of the great leader.” [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that fiscal policy is driven by political greed rather than economic rationale, leading to contradictory actions. **In simple terms:** Policy is shaped by greed, not economics. Key Takeaway Question political motives. Themes politics economics greed policy inconsistency Mood skeptical critical Type analytical political When to use this quote - budget planning - public debate - legislative reform Key Concepts public finance political rhetoric wealth taxation Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports the claim of greed? - How can voters hold leaders accountable? A Different Perspective Economic realities may constrain political promises. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-debt-781475/) [Complaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaining/) [Contradicting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradicting/) [Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) [Debt Proposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt-proposed-3964416/) [Great leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-leader/) [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planning/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [Ran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Trillion Contradicting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trillion-contradicting-3964417/) [Trillion Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trillion-debt-444317/) [Trillions Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trillions-dollars-1003912/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [Let's get our mind off America's debt crisis by maxing out our credit cards on a reckless shopping binge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-s-get-our-mind-off-america-s-debt-crisis-by-maxing-out-our-credit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Countries change, of course, and it is still the same country, in a way, resembling a McCarthy America, except that McCarthy’s America was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josip-novakovich/countries-change-of-course-and-it-is-still-the-same-country-in-a-way/) [Josip Novakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josip-novakovich/) > [America has so much debt, if she were a person she'd need a co-signer to get a car loan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dov-davidoff/america-has-so-much-debt-if-she-were-a-person-she-d-need-a-co-signer/) [Dov Davidoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dov-davidoff/) > [“Second, America is drowning in debt. While China is the world’s largest creditor nation, America is the world’s largest debtor nation. At $17 trillion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/second-america-is-drowning-in-debt-while-china-is-the-world-s-largest/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) > [Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally . Leadership means that 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/increasing-america-s-debt-weakens-us-domestically-and-internationally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Since America is in so much debt maybe President Trump will file bankrupt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-hickman/since-america-is-in-so-much-debt-maybe-president-trump-will-file/) [Omar Hickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-hickman/) > [The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. America has a debt problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-fact-that-we-are-here-today-to-debate-raising-america-s-debt/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The reality for us in America is that we will never get out of debt with more than 15 million people out of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/the-reality-for-us-in-america-is-that-we-will-never-get-out-of-debt/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure... It is a sign that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-fact-that-we-are-here-today-to-debate-raising-america-s-debt-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It's very difficult to explain to a normal working citizen the implications of what $18 trillion in debt means and what it means when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wynn/it-s-very-difficult-to-explain-to-a-normal-working-citizen-the/) [Steve Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wynn/) > [The American people care about the fact that we have $17 trillion in debt and 10 percent of every tax dollar that's coming in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-roth/the-american-people-care-about-the-fact-that-we-have-17-trillion-in/) [Carol Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-roth/) > [We have managed to acquire $13 trillion of debt on our balance sheet. In my view we have nothing to show for it. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennett/we-have-managed-to-acquire-13-trillion-of-debt-on-our-balance-sheet/) [Michael Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennett/) > [It took the first 204 years of our Nation's history to accumulate $1 trillion in debt. And now we are doing that every 2 or 3 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-took-the-first-204-years-of-our-nation-s-history-to-accumulate-1/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [ I have proposed I would not add a penny to the debt and \[Donald Trump\] plans would add $5 trillion to the debt. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-proposed-i-would-not-add-a-penny-to-the-debt-and-donald-trump/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I think that, you know, this is a different year than most years. We've got to tell the American people that we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-buck/i-think-that-you-know-this-is-a-different-year-than-most-years-we-ve/) [Ken Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-buck/) ## More by David Cay Johnston > [“Wage insurance works best when all workers are covered under the same plan and the coverage starts at the beginning of their working lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/wage-insurance-works-best-when-all-workers-are-covered-under-the-same/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“Pope Francis I, denouncing “an economy of exclusion,” has made inequality a centerpiece of his reign: Just as the commandment “Thou shalt not kill”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/pope-francis-i-denouncing-an-economy-of-exclusion-has-made-inequality/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“We have created a society in which all the nation’s economic gains flow to the top and the vast majority sees income stagnation or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/we-have-created-a-society-in-which-all-the-nation-s-economic-gains/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [Congress is supposed to fund the IRS, and it has been steadily reducing the number of auditors and tax collectors the IRS has at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/congress-is-supposed-to-fund-the-irs-and-it-has-been-steadily/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“By 2012 the average income of the vast majority had shrunk to the equivalent of 45 weeks of 1973 income—a 13 percent decline to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/by-2012-the-average-income-of-the-vast-majority-had-shrunk-to-the/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“No person, I think, ever saw a herd of buffalo, of which a few were fat and the great majority lean. No person ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/no-person-i-think-ever-saw-a-herd-of-buffalo-of-which-a-few-were-fat/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“The worst of these are laws in nineteen states that let companies pocket the state income taxes withheld from their workers’ paychecks for up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/the-worst-of-these-are-laws-in-nineteen-states-that-let-companies/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“it shouldn’t be the case that the only route out of poverty is to get married to someone who also has a job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/it-shouldn-t-be-the-case-that-the-only-route-out-of-poverty-is-to-get/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“Halliburton’s is a more extreme example, one in which a powerful and wealthy company transcends national borders so thoroughly that it is not an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/halliburton-s-is-a-more-extreme-example-one-in-which-a-powerful-and/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“The real income reported on federal tax returns by the vast majority of Americans, the 90 percent, doubled between the end of the war and 1973.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/the-real-income-reported-on-federal-tax-returns-by-the-vast-majority/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [You, as a wage earner have to pay your taxes every year on your income for that year. So if you have a one-time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/you-as-a-wage-earner-have-to-pay-your-taxes-every-year-on-your-income/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“Social Security gives concrete expression to widely held and time-honored American commitments. Grounded in values of shared responsibility and concern for all members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/social-security-gives-concrete-expression-to-widely-held-and-time/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“The anthropologist Elliot Liebow observed it in the men he chronicled in Tally’s Corner, his insightful 1967 book on the lives and attitudes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/the-anthropologist-elliot-liebow-observed-it-in-the-men-he-chronicled/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“One change we believe should be made is increasing the maximum amount of wages on which Social Security’s contributions are assessed. Contributions are assessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/one-change-we-believe-should-be-made-is-increasing-the-maximum-amount/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“Not surprisingly, this huge American “industry” has huge political clout—with the expansion of prosecutorial and correctional workers’ power, the growing number of lobbyists for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/not-surprisingly-this-huge-american-industry-has-huge-political-clout/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) [Explore all 67 David Cay Johnston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) ## More Complaining quotes > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/) [Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [They have no right to complain! If women were cool with knowing their man is cheating on them then they have no right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-williams/they-have-no-right-to-complain-if-women-were-cool-with-knowing-their/) [Eric Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-williams/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Do not complain of life's unfairness. It is never fair - at best it is impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/do-not-complain-of-life-s-unfairness-it-is-never-fair-at-best-it-is/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [But if people will laugh at my work and keep a sound roof over my head, who am I to complain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-burke/but-if-people-will-laugh-at-my-work-and-keep-a-sound-roof-over-my/) [Billie Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-burke/) > [I think we need to talk about mental illness a lot more. People complain about tax dollars and say we don't have the money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-illness-a-lot-more-people/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Instead of complaining about your circumstances, get busy creating new ones. You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [You shouldn't get to live in society and give nothing back. People complain about their taxes, yet they do nothing for the community. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-turner/you-shouldn-t-get-to-live-in-society-and-give-nothing-back-people/) [Kathleen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-turner/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [Once the war began, the government could do anything 'necessary' to win it; so it was with the 'final solution of the Jewish problem,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-mayer/once-the-war-began-the-government-could-do-anything-necessary-to-win/) [Milton Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-mayer/) > [I'll tell you that the dog whistle politics is badly missing the mark. Because, you know, as I've been speaking about it, sure, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naheed-nenshi/i-ll-tell-you-that-the-dog-whistle-politics-is-badly-missing-the-mark/) [Naheed Nenshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naheed-nenshi/) [Browse all 1,994 Complaining quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaining/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Donald Trump ran for office complaining that at $19 trillion, the US debt was completely out of control, and yet what he's planning to do is throw trillions of dollars more onto that debt. If the proposed tax plan cuts upon the wealthiest Americans is enacted, 10 years from now America's debt will be over $30 trillion. And so, he's contradicting, his own stated positions. And that's because, to Donald, none of this is about policy. It's not about sound economics. 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