--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know that Donald Trump is…" description: "\"I don't know that Donald Trump is anything more to Putin than what Lenin called a poleznye durak, a useful idiot.\" — David Remnick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/david-remnick-4397_idiot_i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anythi_1195862.jpg" --- # I don't know that Donald Trump is anything more to Putin… ![“I don't know that Donald Trump is anything more to Putin than what Lenin called a poleznye durak, a useful idiot.” quote by David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/david-remnick-4397_idiot_i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anythi_1195862.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/david-remnick-4397_idiot_i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anythi_1195862.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/david-remnick-4397_idiot_i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anythi_1195862.jpg) > “I don't know that Donald Trump is anything more to Putin than what Lenin called a poleznye durak, a useful idiot.” [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement likens Donald Trump to a "useful idiot," implying he serves Russian interests without realizing it. **In simple terms:** Trump is portrayed as a naive tool for Putin. Key Takeaway Beware of being manipulated by larger powers. Themes politics manipulation foreign influence Mood skeptical critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - elections - media coverage - international relations - public opinion Key Concepts propaganda strategic leverage Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports this view? - How can leaders avoid being used by others? A Different Perspective The comparison may oversimplify complex geopolitical dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) ## Related quotes > [In the end, believe me, there will be no friendship between Trump and Putin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/in-the-end-believe-me-there-will-be-no-friendship-between-trump-and/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [Calling Trump 'Putin's puppet' is a sign of the weakness of the American political system. 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He said nice things about me. If we got along well, that would be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-don-t-know-putin-he-said-nice-things-about-me-if-we-got-along-well/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Candidate Trump held out his hand to Vladimir Putin. He rejected further U.S. intervention in Syria other than to smash ISIS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/candidate-trump-held-out-his-hand-to-vladimir-putin-he-rejected/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [“Putin has positioned himself as the leader of an authoritarian, xenophobic international movement that wants to expel immigrants, break up the European Union, weaken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/putin-has-positioned-himself-as-the-leader-of-an-authoritarian/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [ \[Putin\] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/putin-is-a-bully-and-bullies-only-understand-when-we-punch-them-in/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) ## More by David Remnick > [The internet is very democratizing in some ways, but it also has other effects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/the-internet-is-very-democratizing-in-some-ways-but-it-also-has-other/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [We can hope that the responsibilities and realities will weigh on Donald Trump and he will not be the president we fear, but rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/we-can-hope-that-the-responsibilities-and-realities-will-weigh-on/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [The future is itself a story, and predictions are stories we tell to amaze ourselves, to give hope to the desperate, to jolt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/the-future-is-itself-a-story-and-predictions-are-stories-we-tell-to/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [Russian is such a tough and complex language that I am happy enough to understand everything and read most things pretty well, but, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/russian-is-such-a-tough-and-complex-language-that-i-am-happy-enough/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [You are losing because of Jewish bankers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/you-are-losing-because-of-jewish-bankers/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [“One cannot exclude the possibility of a fascist period in Russia,” Staravoitova said on the radio station Echo of Moscow. “We can see too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/one-cannot-exclude-the-possibility-of-a-fascist-period-in-russia/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [I'm a civilian, a citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-m-a-civilian-a-citizen/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [I'm a journalist - I'm not Robert Caro. 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Journalism should be in the business of putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-got-in-journalism-for-any-number-of-reasons-not-least-because-it-s/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) [Explore all 111 David Remnick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) ## More Idiot quotes > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [Thirty guys equals five percent die-off among active wingsuit base jumpers. That means there's a flaw in our system and you're an idiot if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/thirty-guys-equals-five-percent-die-off-among-active-wingsuit-base/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [You have to be an idiot to run out of gas…I just did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-burke/you-have-to-be-an-idiot-to-run-out-of-gas-i-just-did/) [Brooke Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-burke/) > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [I need to look like an idiot at least twice a day to keep myself humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-need-to-look-like-an-idiot-at-least-twice-a-day-to-keep-myself/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [“But no idiot-proofing can overcome a determined idiot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-weir/but-no-idiot-proofing-can-overcome-a-determined-idiot/) [Andy Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-weir/) > [One or two years ago, I didn't know who I was on court and I used to swear a lot. But now I've learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-federer/one-or-two-years-ago-i-didn-t-know-who-i-was-on-court-and-i-used-to/) [Roger Federer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-federer/) > [“He came for me. I couldn’t believe it. He came for me . Into a flying palace full of thousands of armed rakshasas in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/he-came-for-me-i-couldn-t-believe-it-he-came-for-me-into-a-flying/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/why-does-man-behave-like-perfect-idiot-this-is-the-problem-i-wish-to/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [Without sounding like a right idiot, my mum and my dad are my role models. They devoted everything to my sister and me -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/without-sounding-like-a-right-idiot-my-mum-and-my-dad-are-my-role/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [“The woman may be a biomedical engineer, but I begin to think that she is a certifiable idiot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-khoury/the-woman-may-be-a-biomedical-engineer-but-i-begin-to-think-that-she/) [Jessica Khoury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-khoury/) > [“Knowledge cannot replace friendship. I'd rather be an idiot than lose you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-to-spongebob/knowledge-cannot-replace-friendship-i-d-rather-be-an-idiot-than-lose/) Patrick to Spongebob > [Solemnity is the shield of idiots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/solemnity-is-the-shield-of-idiots/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’ve noticed that you are retarded, Dr. Phil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-leigh-stewart/i-ve-noticed-that-you-are-retarded-dr-phil/) [Christy Leigh Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-leigh-stewart/) > [“You heard what she said, idiot. She’s not dating, especially not a man her uptight daddy can’t stand the sight of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/codi-gary/you-heard-what-she-said-idiot-she-s-not-dating-especially-not-a-man/) [Codi Gary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/codi-gary/) [Browse all 2,115 Idiot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know that Donald Trump is anything more to Putin than what Lenin called a poleznye durak, a useful idiot.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Remnick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anything-more-to-putin-than-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Idiot" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anything-more-to-putin-than-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/david-remnick-4397_idiot_i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anythi_1195862.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/david-remnick-4397_idiot_i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anythi_1195862.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/david-remnick-4397_idiot_i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anythi_1195862.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't know that Donald Trump is anything more to Putin than what Lenin called a poleznye durak, a useful…” — David Remnick", "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 Remnick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't know that Donald Trump...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anything-more-to-putin-than-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-don-t-know-that-donald-trump-is-anything-more-to-putin-than-what/#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 } } ] } ```