---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I find it hard to argue with Reagan's old…"
description: "\"I find it hard to argue with Reagan's old slogan: Trust, but verify.\" — David Hoffman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/david-hoffman-38227_arguing_i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-ol_226863.jpg"
---

#  I find it hard to argue with Reagan's old slogan: Trust…

![“I find it hard to argue with Reagan's old slogan: Trust, but verify.” quote by David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/david-hoffman-38227_arguing_i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-ol_226863.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/david-hoffman-38227_arguing_i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-ol_226863.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/david-hoffman-38227_arguing_i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-ol_226863.jpg)

> “I find it hard to argue with Reagan's old slogan: Trust, but verify.”

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote highlights the importance of skepticism even when trusting others, urging verification to avoid deception.

**In simple terms:** Trust but also check facts.

Key Takeaway

Verify before accepting.

Themes

trust skepticism verification

Mood

cautious pragmatic

Type

advice political

When to use this quote

- business negotiations
- political discourse
- personal relationships

Key Concepts

critical thinking risk management

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance trust and verification?
- When is verification unnecessary?

A Different Perspective

Verification can be time‑consuming and may erode trust if overused.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Argue Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argue-reagan-2305471/) [Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard Argue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-argue-744150/) [Old Slogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-slogan-2305473/) [Slogan Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slogan-trust-2305472/) [Slogans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slogans/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Trust But Verify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-but-verify-213569/) [Trust Verify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-verify-1286285/) [Verify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verify/)

## Related quotes

> [Trust, but verify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trust-but-verify/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Doverey, no proverey - Trust but verify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/doverey-no-proverey-trust-but-verify/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [“Trust, but verify. —RONALD REAGAN”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-m-r-covey/trust-but-verify-ronald-reagan/)

[Stephen M.R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-m-r-covey/)

> [“Don’t trust, and never verify.” Roy said, “That doesn’t fill me with confidence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-meyer/don-t-trust-and-never-verify-roy-said-that-doesn-t-fill-me-with/)

[Scott Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-meyer/)

> [“I followed the words of the famous Russian proverb: Doveryai, no proveryai (or, in English, 'Trust, but verify').”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randi-minetor/i-followed-the-words-of-the-famous-russian-proverb-doveryai-no/)

[Randi Minetor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randi-minetor/)

> [“Don’t Rely on Experts Doveryai, no proveryai (trust, but verify). —OLD RUSSIAN PROVERB,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-greene/don-t-rely-on-experts-doveryai-no-proveryai-trust-but-verify-old/)

[Nat Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-greene/)

> [There was a conservative consensus for an amendment I put forward called Trust, But Verify that would have strengthened border security on both refugees,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/there-was-a-conservative-consensus-for-an-amendment-i-put-forward/)

[Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/)

> [ Ronald Reagan said "trust, but verify." President \[Barack\] Obama is "trust, but vilify." He trusts our enemies and vilifies everyone who disagrees with him. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/ronald-reagan-said-trust-but-verify-president-barack-obama-is-trust/)

[Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/)

> [It's hard to argue with the government. Remember, they are they run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, so they must know a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/it-s-hard-to-argue-with-the-government-remember-they-are-they-run-the/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [Hard to argue with a woman, period. Only time a man wins with one of them is when the woman is either on TV…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/hard-to-argue-with-a-woman-period-only-time-a-man-wins-with-one-of/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [Feminism means, basically, are you in favor of equal opportunities for men and women? It's hard to argue with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-coles/feminism-means-basically-are-you-in-favor-of-equal-opportunities-for/)

[Joanna Coles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-coles/)

> [“The thing about Mia's logic was that it was hard to argue with without sounding like the bad guy. Every objection had a counter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-riot/the-thing-about-mia-s-logic-was-that-it-was-hard-to-argue-with/)

[Patrick Riot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-riot/)

> [It's very hard to argue with the politics of 'Black Watch,' because it is not an opinion; it is just the true stories of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tiffany/it-s-very-hard-to-argue-with-the-politics-of-black-watch-because-it/)

[John Tiffany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tiffany/)

> [Why should I live my whole life where I don't want to be. \[it's a good point - pretty hard to argue with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/why-should-i-live-my-whole-life-where-i-don-t-want-to-be-it-s-a-good/)

[Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/)

> [It's hard to argue with the government. Remember, they run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, so they must know a thing or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/it-s-hard-to-argue-with-the-government-remember-they-run-the-bureau/)

[Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/)

## More by David Hoffman

> [I have no doubt that aggressively going after wrongdoing can result in real improvement. Fewer wrongdoers in city government means more honest employees; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/i-have-no-doubt-that-aggressively-going-after-wrongdoing-can-result/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

> [ In fact, the same difficulties faced by Reagan in the 1980-s are still there \[in the beginning of 21 century\]: how do you hit… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/in-fact-the-same-difficulties-faced-by-reagan-in-the-1980-s-are-still/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

> [Sputnik quickly became one of the three great shocks to hit America - historians say the equal of Pearl Harbor or 9/11.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/sputnik-quickly-became-one-of-the-three-great-shocks-to-hit-america/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

> [Despite his deeply-held ideology, Reagan was willing to talk to Gorbachev. He willing to do business with him. We should realize that engaging with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/despite-his-deeply-held-ideology-reagan-was-willing-to-talk-to/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

> [Scholars have been arguing for a long time whether the Soviet Union could have been turned into some kind of social democracy. I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/scholars-have-been-arguing-for-a-long-time-whether-the-soviet-union/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

> [I always live in the present - I love the present. I cherish the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/i-always-live-in-the-present-i-love-the-present-i-cherish-the-future/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

> [The only problem with getting married is that we can't fornicate anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/the-only-problem-with-getting-married-is-that-we-can-t-fornicate/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

> [Nixon tried to wrap the Soviet Union into a web of agreements that would constrain its behavior. What happened is that many people lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/nixon-tried-to-wrap-the-soviet-union-into-a-web-of-agreements-that/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

> [With the growing recognition of the value of herbs, it is surely time to examine the professional therapeutic use of these herbs. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/with-the-growing-recognition-of-the-value-of-herbs-it-is-surely-time/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

> [For days after the launch, Sputnik was a wonderful curiosity. A man-made moon visible by ordinary citizens, it inspired awe and pride that humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/for-days-after-the-launch-sputnik-was-a-wonderful-curiosity-a-man/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

> [ Gorbachev was acutely aware of the \[USSR\] economic problems, and it was central to all he did. He wanted to change the system in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/gorbachev-was-acutely-aware-of-the-ussr-economic-problems-and-it-was/)

[David Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

[Explore all 12 David Hoffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/)

## More Arguing quotes

> [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/)

[Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/)

> [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/)

[John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/)

> [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/)

[Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/)

> [Men are fair, and they have learned not to personalize anger - they can disagree with you and argue to the bone, but afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-are-fair-and-they-have-learned-not-to-personalize-anger-they-can/)

[Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/)

> [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/)

[Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/)

> [Fasting is required, staying away from fighting and arguing and bombing of masjids is still going on. Hatred is still manifested between Sunni and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/fasting-is-required-staying-away-from-fighting-and-arguing-and/)

[Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/)

> [The problem for the Left, however, is that the moment it stops painting the Right as vile, it has to argue the issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-problem-for-the-left-however-is-that-the-moment-it-stops-painting/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [You can argue that the Terminator movies reboot their world each time they go back in time, but that doesn't negate the value of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hayter/you-can-argue-that-the-terminator-movies-reboot-their-world-each-time/)

[David Hayter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hayter/)

> [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/)

[Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/)

> [I'm a very serious person, but I don't take myself very seriously and I would rather laugh all day than argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-m-a-very-serious-person-but-i-don-t-take-myself-very-seriously-and/)

[Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/)

> [These eyes, tho' clear To outward view of blemish or of spot, Bereft of light, their seeing have forgot, Nor to their idle orbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/these-eyes-tho-clear-to-outward-view-of-blemish-or-of-spot-bereft-of/)

[John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/)

> [There's crucial distinction that has to be drawn between the Shari'a, which is this hugely expansive vision of cosmic order that I've been describing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadakat-kadri/there-s-crucial-distinction-that-has-to-be-drawn-between-the-shari-a/)

[Sadakat Kadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadakat-kadri/)

> [Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/only-fools-argue-whether-to-eat-meat-or-not-they-don-t-understand/)

[Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/)

> [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/)

[Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/)

[Browse all 1,908 Arguing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I find it hard to argue with Reagan's old slogan: Trust, but verify.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Hoffman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-old-slogan-trust-but-verify/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Arguing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-old-slogan-trust-but-verify/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/david-hoffman-38227_arguing_i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-ol_226863.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/david-hoffman-38227_arguing_i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-ol_226863.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/david-hoffman-38227_arguing_i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-ol_226863.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I find it hard to argue with Reagan's old slogan: Trust, but verify.” — David Hoffman",
                "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": "David Hoffman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hoffman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I find it hard to argue...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-old-slogan-trust-but-verify/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hoffman/i-find-it-hard-to-argue-with-reagan-s-old-slogan-trust-but-verify/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
