--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A U.S. president who is elected amid…" description: "\"A U.S. president who is elected amid controversy and recrimination, reviled by a large segment of the electorate, and mired in domestic crises will be ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/fiona-hill-10019_foreign-policy_a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-cont_1792407.jpg" --- # A U.S. president who is elected amid controversy and… ![“A U.S. president who is elected amid controversy and recrimination, reviled by a large segment of the electorate, and mired in domestic crises will be hard-pressed to forge a coherent foreign policy and challenge Russia.” quote by Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/fiona-hill-10019_foreign-policy_a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-cont_1792407.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/fiona-hill-10019_foreign-policy_a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-cont_1792407.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/fiona-hill-10019_foreign-policy_a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-cont_1792407.jpg) > “A U.S. president who is elected amid controversy and recrimination, reviled by a large segment of the electorate, and mired in domestic crises will be hard-pressed to forge a coherent foreign policy and challenge Russia.” [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A president elected during deep division and crises struggles to create consistent foreign policy, especially toward Russia. **In simple terms:** Divisive leaders find it hard to maintain clear foreign strategies. Key Takeaway Seek bipartisan support for foreign policy. Themes politics leadership foreign policy conflict Mood concerned analytical Type political strategic When to use this quote - campaign planning - policy drafting - international negotiations - crisis management Key Concepts governance polarization strategic consistency Questions to Reflect On - How can a leader balance internal crises with external threats? - What mechanisms ensure policy continuity? A Different Perspective Domestic turmoil may dominate agenda, sidelining foreign issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foreign policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-policy/) ## Related quotes > [The biggest challenge in Russia was the cold weather at first but after playing games at -12, I think I am settling down quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hulk/the-biggest-challenge-in-russia-was-the-cold-weather-at-first-but/) [Hulk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hulk/) > [Indeed, for Russia, inconsistency is an integral part of its foreign policy strategy, particularly under Putin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/indeed-for-russia-inconsistency-is-an-integral-part-of-its-foreign/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [“There’s still much to do; still so much to learn. Mr. La Forge – engage!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-picard/there-s-still-much-to-do-still-so-much-to-learn-mr-la-forge-engage/) Captain Picard > [You must forge your own path for it to mean anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/you-must-forge-your-own-path-for-it-to-mean-anything/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Writers are, for the most part, crazy people. We're like Hephaestus of the forge. We're gnarled. We're curled over. We walk with a limp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-a-kemp/writers-are-for-the-most-part-crazy-people-we-re-like-hephaestus-of/) [Courtney A. 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'And the forge creates things of great strength and beauty.' 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They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-was-a-bad-day-when-three-or-four-men-were-not-standing-around-the/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [For women, the important ingredients for happiness are to forge an identity, serve the Lord, get an education, develop your talents, serve your family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/for-women-the-important-ingredients-for-happiness-are-to-forge-an/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) > [No one can forge your future for you except you yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/no-one-can-forge-your-future-for-you-except-you-yourself/) Isaiah Harden (Me ## More by Fiona Hill > [The Cold War was obviously driven by a very intense ideological struggle that was very clearly defined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/the-cold-war-was-obviously-driven-by-a-very-intense-ideological/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [Outside of the Moscow elite and a very small urban elite, Russia is one great big blue-collar country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/outside-of-the-moscow-elite-and-a-very-small-urban-elite-russia-is/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [People in Washington, D.C., may not be paying that much attention to what's happening in Chechnya, but people in Riyadh and Amman and elsewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/people-in-washington-d-c-may-not-be-paying-that-much-attention-to/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [I have worked hard and emigrated to the U.S., and I think of myself as working class but I'm probably not any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/i-have-worked-hard-and-emigrated-to-the-u-s-and-i-think-of-myself-as/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [We've got ourselves into a situation where government service is somehow seen to be a political act rather than an act of civic duty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/we-ve-got-ourselves-into-a-situation-where-government-service-is/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [For Putin, Syria is all too reminiscent of Chechnya. Both conflicts pitted the state against disparate and leaderless opposition forces, which over time came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/for-putin-syria-is-all-too-reminiscent-of-chechnya-both-conflicts/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [The Russians didn't invent partisan divides. The Russians haven't invented racism in the United States. But the Russians understand a lot of those divisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/the-russians-didn-t-invent-partisan-divides-the-russians-haven-t/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [New ties between Russia and Japan would mark not only a breakthrough in their relations but also a significant shift in Northeast Asia's political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/new-ties-between-russia-and-japan-would-mark-not-only-a-breakthrough/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [In the instance of Iran for Russia, Iran is a very important counterweight to the Sunni Muslim powers in the Gulf, but Russia's always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/in-the-instance-of-iran-for-russia-iran-is-a-very-important/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [The idea is that Putin-Trump would be a win-win for the Kremlin, as they have mutual interests and alliances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/the-idea-is-that-putin-trump-would-be-a-win-win-for-the-kremlin-as/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [You could say that by standing up to Russia, the U.S. is finally getting some balls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/you-could-say-that-by-standing-up-to-russia-the-u-s-is-finally/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [So with President Obama, he's a very different style. Very thoughtful, posed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/so-with-president-obama-he-s-a-very-different-style-very-thoughtful/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [Because the more you engage with someone who is spreading untruths, the more validity you give to those untruths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/because-the-more-you-engage-with-someone-who-is-spreading-untruths/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [I grew up poor with a very distinctive working-class accent. In England in the 1980s and 1990s this would have impeded my professional advancement.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/i-grew-up-poor-with-a-very-distinctive-working-class-accent-in/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [I am very confident based on all of the analysis that has been done - and, again, I don't want to start getting into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/i-am-very-confident-based-on-all-of-the-analysis-that-has-been-done/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) [Explore all 68 Fiona Hill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) ## More Foreign policy quotes > [Britain should take pride in a foreign policy that reflects her values and responsibilities - but it must be grounded in the tangible interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-raab/britain-should-take-pride-in-a-foreign-policy-that-reflects-her/) [Dominic Raab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-raab/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ \[Putin\] 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/) > [The people and the warmakers are two distinct groups. We must never say 'we' when discussing the US government's foreign policy. For one thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/llewellyn-rockwell/the-people-and-the-warmakers-are-two-distinct-groups-we-must-never/) [Llewellyn Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/llewellyn-rockwell/) > [21st-century foreign policy is going to be built on countries that can tackle transnational challenges together. Climate change and public health are the top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/21st-century-foreign-policy-is-going-to-be-built-on-countries-that/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [The next president needs to know foreign policy and not learn it on the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/the-next-president-needs-to-know-foreign-policy-and-not-learn-it-on/) [Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/) > [The reality is that our military presence on foreign soil is as offensive to the people that live there as armed Chinese troops would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-reality-is-that-our-military-presence-on-foreign-soil-is-as/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [We have come a long way in terms of foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-raffarin/we-have-come-a-long-way-in-terms-of-foreign-policy/) [Jean-Pierre Raffarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-raffarin/) > [ \[A\]n Obama presidency would be an amusing approximation of the Carter administration, complete with vaporous moralizing and foreign policy bungling. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing-approximation-of-the-carter/) [Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-tyrrell/) > [From a German point of view, German-American and European-American relations are a pillar of our foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/from-a-german-point-of-view-german-american-and-european-american/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [Trump's biggest success in his first term has been his foreign policy agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/trump-s-biggest-success-in-his-first-term-has-been-his-foreign-policy/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [I don't just denounce suicide bombers. I denounce those governments which use indiscriminate slaughter to advance their foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-don-t-just-denounce-suicide-bombers-i-denounce-those-governments/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [The Hillary Clinton foreign policy has cost America thousands of lives and trillions and trillions of dollars, and unleashed ISIS across the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-hillary-clinton-foreign-policy-has-cost-america-thousands-of/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“Hamilton has often been extolled as the exponent of a rational foreign policy based on cool calculations of national self-interest. But his April 14…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/hamilton-has-often-been-extolled-as-the-exponent-of-a-rational/) [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) > [•“I don’t have the foggiest idea about what I think about international, foreign policy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-don-t-have-the-foggiest-idea-about-what-i-think-about-international/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Browse all 1,055 Foreign policy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-policy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A U.S. president who is elected amid controversy and recrimination, reviled by a large segment of the electorate, and mired in domestic crises will be hard-pressed to forge a coherent foreign policy and challenge Russia.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fiona Hill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-controversy-and-recrimination/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Foreign policy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-controversy-and-recrimination/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/fiona-hill-10019_foreign-policy_a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-cont_1792407.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/fiona-hill-10019_foreign-policy_a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-cont_1792407.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/fiona-hill-10019_foreign-policy_a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-cont_1792407.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A U.S. president who is elected amid controversy and recrimination, reviled by a large segment of the…” — Fiona Hill", "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": "Fiona Hill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A U.S. president who is elected...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-controversy-and-recrimination/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/a-u-s-president-who-is-elected-amid-controversy-and-recrimination/#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 } } ] } ```