--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Trump wants to take us back to a time…" description: "\"Trump wants to take us back to a time when people like him could abuse others with little to no consequence, when people like him could exploit the lab..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/deray-mckesson-4626_abuse_trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-wh_2573141.jpg" --- # Trump wants to take us back to a time when people like him… ![“Trump wants to take us back to a time when people like him could abuse others with little to no consequence, when people like him could exploit the labor of others to build vast amounts of wealth, when people like him could create public policy that specifically benefited them while suppressing…” quote by DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/deray-mckesson-4626_abuse_trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-wh_2573141.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/deray-mckesson-4626_abuse_trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-wh_2573141.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/deray-mckesson-4626_abuse_trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-wh_2573141.jpg) > “Trump wants to take us back to a time when people like him could abuse others with little to no consequence, when people like him could exploit the labor of others to build vast amounts of wealth, when people like him could create public policy that specifically benefited them while suppressing the rights and social mobility of others.” [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) ## 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 warns that a leader like Trump seeks to revert society to an era where power is unchecked, allowing exploitation and policy bias that harms marginalized groups. **In simple terms:** It warns against returning to a time of unchecked power and exploitation. Key Takeaway Guard against policies that concentrate power and ignore equity. Themes politics power inequality justice accountability Mood cautious critical determined Type political activist analytical When to use this quote - voting decisions - activism - policy advocacy - community organizing - media analysis Key Concepts authoritarianism elite capture social mobility labor exploitation Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can prevent power abuse? - How can citizens promote equitable policies? A Different Perspective Such a view may overlook complexities of governance and the role of voter agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [Exploit Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploit-labor-1710605/) [Like Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-abuse-1710606/) [Social mobility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-mobility/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Trump Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-wants/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Wealth People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth-people-1590563/) ## Related quotes > [The directing motive, the end and aim of capitalist production, is to extract the greatest possible amount of surplus value, and consequently to exploit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/the-directing-motive-the-end-and-aim-of-capitalist-production-is-to/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [My therapist said to me 'OK, let's just say your daughters do end up marrying someone like him. When the abuse starts they'll think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-moon-zombie/my-therapist-said-to-me-ok-let-s-just-say-your-daughters-do-end-up/) [Sheri Moon Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-moon-zombie/) > [“I don't like to abuse alcohol-anything you abuse will abuse you back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/i-don-t-like-to-abuse-alcohol-anything-you-abuse-will-abuse-you-back/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [You should see me during an action film. I look like an abuse victim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-q/you-should-see-me-during-an-action-film-i-look-like-an-abuse-victim/) [Maggie Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-q/) > [Love is a very beautiful feeling, some people like to abuse it...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-rivera/love-is-a-very-beautiful-feeling-some-people-like-to-abuse-it/) [Maria Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-rivera/) > [ When those types of situations\[like abuse\] begin to occur in your life - I had bought in from a very early age that fundamentally… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/when-those-types-of-situations-like-abuse-begin-to-occur-in-your-life/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [I know I'm being used, that's okay cause I like the abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/offspring/i-know-i-m-being-used-that-s-okay-cause-i-like-the-abuse/) [Offspring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/offspring/) > [The more princes abstain from touching the wealth of their people, the greater will be their resources in the wants of the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pulcheria/the-more-princes-abstain-from-touching-the-wealth-of-their-people-the/) [Pulcheria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pulcheria/) > [There's accountability in the mutual fund industry. And they've been tremendous engines of wealth for people and they're going to continue to be so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cramer/there-s-accountability-in-the-mutual-fund-industry-and-they-ve-been/) [Jim Cramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cramer/) > [If our economic system is to survive, there has to be a better distribution of wealth ... we can't have a system where some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-our-economic-system-is-to-survive-there-has-to-be-a-better/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I noticed that difference early on, like if you were successful in rock 'n' roll, that was a really bad thing, you almost had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-noticed-that-difference-early-on-like-if-you-were-successful-in/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [When you socially neglect a people, when you economically abandon a people, when you transfer wealth from them to the well-to-do, what are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/when-you-socially-neglect-a-people-when-you-economically-abandon-a/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [If you look at anyone who has achieved great success and wealth, people like Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, or Lance Armstrong, they have all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-you-look-at-anyone-who-has-achieved-great-success-and-wealth/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Capitalism places every man in competition with his fellows for a share of the available wealth. A few people accumulate big piles, but most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/capitalism-places-every-man-in-competition-with-his-fellows-for-a/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [I would like to say something just about the Mexican people. It is a population that has a wealth, such great wealth, a people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-would-like-to-say-something-just-about-the-mexican-people-it-is-a/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## More by DeRay Mckesson > [I love Baltimore. This city has made me the man that I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/i-love-baltimore-this-city-has-made-me-the-man-that-i-am/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [The first time I was ever impressed with Patagonia as a brand was when they released the 'Don't Buy This Jacket' campaign. That campaign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/the-first-time-i-was-ever-impressed-with-patagonia-as-a-brand-was/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [For our kids to go to school, they must be alive, and for adults to work, they must not be in jail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/for-our-kids-to-go-to-school-they-must-be-alive-and-for-adults-to/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [When our response to all trauma is to call the police, then that gets us into a cycle of perpetuating trauma. Mental health trauma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/when-our-response-to-all-trauma-is-to-call-the-police-then-that-gets/) [Deray McKesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [I think that I, because of student government and because of working in Baltimore, knew how to be creative with very little resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/i-think-that-i-because-of-student-government-and-because-of-working/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [Social media allowed us to become our own storytellers. With it, we seized the power of our truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/social-media-allowed-us-to-become-our-own-storytellers-with-it-we/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [What we know to be true is that comfort isn't always freedom. People confuse the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/what-we-know-to-be-true-is-that-comfort-isn-t-always-freedom-people/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [Donald Trump is dangerous. The truth is that the bigotry and hatred that he speaks have real consequences in people's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/donald-trump-is-dangerous-the-truth-is-that-the-bigotry-and-hatred/) [Deray McKesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [I will never forget the first time I was teargassed or the night I hid under my steering wheel as the SWAT vehicle drove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/i-will-never-forget-the-first-time-i-was-teargassed-or-the-night-i/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [There is nothing romantic about teargas. Or smoke bombs or rubber bullets or sound cannons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/there-is-nothing-romantic-about-teargas-or-smoke-bombs-or-rubber/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [Most of my life's information is public. I got a text one day from a hacker who texted me all of my credit card…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/most-of-my-life-s-information-is-public-i-got-a-text-one-day-from-a/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [When I think about protest, I worry so much that people think about it only as standing in the streets. And I say that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/when-i-think-about-protest-i-worry-so-much-that-people-think-about-it/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [I think that Silicon Valley and technology can play a huge role in redefining what community looks like and how people come together and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/i-think-that-silicon-valley-and-technology-can-play-a-huge-role-in/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [There are people who have demonstrated their willingness to challenge systems and structures, and then when it comes to elections, some of those same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/there-are-people-who-have-demonstrated-their-willingness-to-challenge/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [Skills acquisition is really at the heart of what it means to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/skills-acquisition-is-really-at-the-heart-of-what-it-means-to-learn/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) [Explore all 108 DeRay Mckesson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [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/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Trump wants to take us back to a time when people like him could abuse others with little to no consequence, when people like him could exploit the labor of others to build vast amounts of wealth, when people like him could create public policy that specifically benefited them while suppressing the rights and social mobility of others.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "DeRay Mckesson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-when-people-like-him-could/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-when-people-like-him-could/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/deray-mckesson-4626_abuse_trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-wh_2573141.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/deray-mckesson-4626_abuse_trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-wh_2573141.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/deray-mckesson-4626_abuse_trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-wh_2573141.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Trump wants to take us back to a time when people like him could abuse others with little to no consequence…” — DeRay Mckesson", "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": "DeRay Mckesson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Trump wants to take us back...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-when-people-like-him-could/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/trump-wants-to-take-us-back-to-a-time-when-people-like-him-could/#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 } } ] } ```