--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's certainly true that presidents have…" description: "\"It's certainly true that presidents have confidantes who rise above what you would call just staff.\" — Jon Lovett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/jon-lovett-8245_presidents_it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have_2477216.jpg" --- # It's certainly true that presidents have confidantes who… ![“It's certainly true that presidents have confidantes who rise above what you would call just staff.” quote by Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/jon-lovett-8245_presidents_it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have_2477216.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/jon-lovett-8245_presidents_it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have_2477216.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/jon-lovett-8245_presidents_it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have_2477216.jpg) > “It's certainly true that presidents have confidantes who rise above what you would call just staff.” [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Presidents rely on trusted advisors who influence decisions beyond ordinary staff roles. **In simple terms:** Leaders depend on close confidants for guidance. Key Takeaway Cultivate trusted relationships for strategic insight. Themes leadership trust politics Mood analytical critical Type strategic thought‑provoking When to use this quote - government - corporate leadership - non‑profit boards - crisis management Key Concepts advisory dynamics power structures decision making Questions to Reflect On - Who are your most trusted advisors? - Do you seek dissenting opinions? A Different Perspective Confidants can create echo chambers, limiting diverse input. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainly True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly-true-824077/) [Confidantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidantes-824078/) [Confidantes Rise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidantes-rise-824076/) [Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidents/) [Presidents Confidantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidents-confidantes-824075/) [Rise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise/) [Rise above](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise-above/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [True Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-presidents-431839/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody brings their personality to any position, and that's true for presidents like anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/everybody-brings-their-personality-to-any-position-and-that-s-true/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The most important people for me, at least in the last couple of years since I came out, are my supersecret trans friends and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/the-most-important-people-for-me-at-least-in-the-last-couple-of-years/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [What is certainly true is that the United States has to have a presence to promote the values that we care about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-is-certainly-true-is-that-the-united-states-has-to-have-a/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It's certainly true that most of my close friends are Jewish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-rubin/it-s-certainly-true-that-most-of-my-close-friends-are-jewish/) [Vera Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-rubin/) > [Certainly, it seems true enough that there's a good deal of irony in the world... I mean, if you live in a world full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/certainly-it-seems-true-enough-that-there-s-a-good-deal-of-irony-in/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [Most people would identify with the fact that we tend to be defined by the struggles we came through than by the successes. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-davis/most-people-would-identify-with-the-fact-that-we-tend-to-be-defined/) [Wendy Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-davis/) > [Tender as a mothers love... And with my mother, that was certainly true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ross/tender-as-a-mothers-love-and-with-my-mother-that-was-certainly-true/) [Bob Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ross/) > [It is certainly true that principles cannot be more securely founded than on experience and consciously clear thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/it-is-certainly-true-that-principles-cannot-be-more-securely-founded/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Today is Presidents' Day. We honor all 44. That works out to slightly less than 33 minutes per president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-is-presidents-day-we-honor-all-44-that-works-out-to-slightly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some of the presidents were great and some of them weren't. I can say that, because I wasn't one of the great presidents, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/some-of-the-presidents-were-great-and-some-of-them-weren-t-i-can-say/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [But no matter how many times we re-rank the presidents, in another 200 years, the top presidents will still be Washington and Lincoln and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/but-no-matter-how-many-times-we-re-rank-the-presidents-in-another-200/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Presidents are evaluated not by what they did by the stroke of their own pen; it's what they persuade Congress to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/presidents-are-evaluated-not-by-what-they-did-by-the-stroke-of-their/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Since 1775, when the first Continental Congress called for a national day of prayer, there have been such events called for by almost every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/since-1775-when-the-first-continental-congress-called-for-a-national/) [James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/) > [Let's assume for the moment that the logic behind Presidents Day is actually sound for certain presidents. Why not have a separate holiday for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/let-s-assume-for-the-moment-that-the-logic-behind-presidents-day-is/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) ## More by Jon Lovett > [Most of my time at the White House, I wrote very unfunny speeches, but every year, I would work on the correspondents' dinner, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/most-of-my-time-at-the-white-house-i-wrote-very-unfunny-speeches-but/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [When in doubt, mock the powerful, not the powerless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/when-in-doubt-mock-the-powerful-not-the-powerless/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [I worked on one speech about the financial system that caused the Dow to drop, like, 200 points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/i-worked-on-one-speech-about-the-financial-system-that-caused-the-dow/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [There is that definition of leadership that says, 'Leadership is convincing people to do things that they otherwise wouldn't have done because you've made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/there-is-that-definition-of-leadership-that-says-leadership-is/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > ['Veep' is a great satire of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/veep-is-a-great-satire-of-democracy/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [Part of my job as a presidential speechwriter (along with great writers like Jon Favreau and David Axelrod) was finding that sliver where 'presidential'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/part-of-my-job-as-a-presidential-speechwriter-along-with-great/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [If there is one way that I would sum up what the 2016 election was on cable news, it was world-class journalists interviewing morons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/if-there-is-one-way-that-i-would-sum-up-what-the-2016-election-was-on/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [There are a lot of heartbroken, anxious people that thought better of their country. We're heartbroken by how far Trump has gotten to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/there-are-a-lot-of-heartbroken-anxious-people-that-thought-better-of/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > ['1600 Penn' was a hit. It's 2018. Anything you want can be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/1600-penn-was-a-hit-it-s-2018-anything-you-want-can-be-true/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [More and more people support equality for their gay friends and neighbors, and that is not because the 'Duck Dynasty' guy almost lost his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/more-and-more-people-support-equality-for-their-gay-friends-and/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [We need people to point out groupthink - We need people to point out stale, old, dumb thinking - and we sometimes need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/we-need-people-to-point-out-groupthink-we-need-people-to-point-out/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [There's only so much mistrust we can take before things get much worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/there-s-only-so-much-mistrust-we-can-take-before-things-get-much-worse/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [When I was a kid, all I knew about Michael Jackson was that he was crazy. He had a monkey named Bubbles and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/when-i-was-a-kid-all-i-knew-about-michael-jackson-was-that-he-was/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [The First Amendment's protections have always put a great deal of responsibility in our hands: not only to respect the power of our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/the-first-amendment-s-protections-have-always-put-a-great-deal-of/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [Trump is a raptor testing the fences, and he found weaknesses to escape and try things that would work, every single day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/trump-is-a-raptor-testing-the-fences-and-he-found-weaknesses-to/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) [Explore all 82 Jon Lovett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) ## More Presidents quotes > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Let's assume for the moment that the logic behind Presidents Day is actually sound for certain presidents. Why not have a separate holiday for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/let-s-assume-for-the-moment-that-the-logic-behind-presidents-day-is/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Since 1775, when the first Continental Congress called for a national day of prayer, there have been such events called for by almost every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/since-1775-when-the-first-continental-congress-called-for-a-national/) [James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/) > [Presidents are evaluated not by what they did by the stroke of their own pen; it's what they persuade Congress to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/presidents-are-evaluated-not-by-what-they-did-by-the-stroke-of-their/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [But no matter how many times we re-rank the presidents, in another 200 years, the top presidents will still be Washington and Lincoln and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/but-no-matter-how-many-times-we-re-rank-the-presidents-in-another-200/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Some of the presidents were great and some of them weren't. I can say that, because I wasn't one of the great presidents, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/some-of-the-presidents-were-great-and-some-of-them-weren-t-i-can-say/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Today is Presidents' Day. We honor all 44. That works out to slightly less than 33 minutes per president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-is-presidents-day-we-honor-all-44-that-works-out-to-slightly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our great presidents have been stewards, men who broadly identified with the whole of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/our-great-presidents-have-been-stewards-men-who-broadly-identified/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [“That depends on what your definition of 'is' is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/that-depends-on-what-your-definition-of-is-is/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) > [“When was the last time an American president found it worth his while to write a speech on the importance of art and literature?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viet-thanh-nguyen/when-was-the-last-time-an-american-president-found-it-worth-his-while/) [Viet Thanh Nguyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viet-thanh-nguyen/) > [Presidents are not kings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ketanji-brown-jackson/presidents-are-not-kings/) [Ketanji Brown Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ketanji-brown-jackson/) > [We'd be in his office playing with trucks as a six-year-old while he's negotiating deals with presidents of major companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump-jr/we-d-be-in-his-office-playing-with-trucks-as-a-six-year-old-while-he/) [Donald Trump, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump-jr/) > [I've always given presidents the benefit of the doubt on their nominees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-ve-always-given-presidents-the-benefit-of-the-doubt-on-their/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I'm not impressed with presidents. I have met a few, but I'm not impressed with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emeril-lagasse/i-m-not-impressed-with-presidents-i-have-met-a-few-but-i-m-not/) [Emeril Lagasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emeril-lagasse/) > [“Presidents are not elected anymore; they are hired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/presidents-are-not-elected-anymore-they-are-hired/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) [Browse all 260 Presidents quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidents/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's certainly true that presidents have confidantes who rise above what you would call just staff.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Lovett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have-confidantes-who-rise-above/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Presidents" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have-confidantes-who-rise-above/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/jon-lovett-8245_presidents_it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have_2477216.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/jon-lovett-8245_presidents_it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have_2477216.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/jon-lovett-8245_presidents_it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have_2477216.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's certainly true that presidents have confidantes who rise above what you would call just staff.” — Jon Lovett", "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": "Jon Lovett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's certainly true that presidents have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have-confidantes-who-rise-above/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/it-s-certainly-true-that-presidents-have-confidantes-who-rise-above/#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 } } ] } ```