--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have long known that former president…" description: "\"We have long known that former president Donald Trump is the kind of racial arsonist who brings a gas can to an inferno.\" — Jonathan Capehart" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/jonathan-capehart-4932_arsonist_we-have-long-known-that-former-president_807107.jpg" --- # We have long known that former president Donald Trump is… ![“We have long known that former president Donald Trump is the kind of racial arsonist who brings a gas can to an inferno.” quote by Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/jonathan-capehart-4932_arsonist_we-have-long-known-that-former-president_807107.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/jonathan-capehart-4932_arsonist_we-have-long-known-that-former-president_807107.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/jonathan-capehart-4932_arsonist_we-have-long-known-that-former-president_807107.jpg) > “We have long known that former president Donald Trump is the kind of racial arsonist who brings a gas can to an inferno.” [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trump is described as a provocateur who fuels racial conflict. **In simple terms:** He is likened to a dangerous arsonist. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge inflammatory rhetoric. Themes politics racism media criticism Mood critical concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - public discourse - policy making - community relations Key Concepts polarization dangerous rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports this claim? - How can we address racial tension constructively? A Different Perspective Such analogies may oversimplify complex political realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arsonist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arsonist/) ## Related quotes > [We look at individuals who would vote for Donald Trump as if... we kind of undervalue them. And we underestimated them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-kasparian/we-look-at-individuals-who-would-vote-for-donald-trump-as-if-we-kind/) [Ana Kasparian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-kasparian/) > [ I think you have to take the man at his word \[Donald Trump\]. Is kind of an equal-opportunity insulter. He started by calling Mexican… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-think-you-have-to-take-the-man-at-his-word-donald-trump-is-kind-of/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Donald Trump is not a serious kind of candidate. We need someone that thinks this through. That can lead our country to safety and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/donald-trump-is-not-a-serious-kind-of-candidate-we-need-someone-that/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [Trump is kind of fascinating. I wish he was only seen in black-and-white 'cause he's like a character from the 1890s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ad-rock/trump-is-kind-of-fascinating-i-wish-he-was-only-seen-in-black-and/) [Ad-Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ad-rock/) > [The idea will be to find of focus on crime and issues where there's not a lot of - where Donald Trump can kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-goldberg/the-idea-will-be-to-find-of-focus-on-crime-and-issues-where-there-s/) [Michelle Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-goldberg/) > [I do think, actually, one thing I noticed with Silicon Valley post-Trump is it kind of made them more politically aware, more aware that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-buttigieg/i-do-think-actually-one-thing-i-noticed-with-silicon-valley-post/) [Pete Buttigieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-buttigieg/) > [I find Donald Trump to be very kind and generous. I find him to have a great sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/i-find-donald-trump-to-be-very-kind-and-generous-i-find-him-to-have-a/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [ \[People\] just don't seem to want to give \[Donald Trump\] any kind of berth at all, let alone a wide berth, to govern. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/people-just-don-t-seem-to-want-to-give-donald-trump-any-kind-of-berth/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [With Trump, because of the kind of seemingly violent way that he talks about things and because he's on Twitter almost every single morning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/with-trump-because-of-the-kind-of-seemingly-violent-way-that-he-talks/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [Donald Trump is the kind of guy that wants you to like him. He wants to be the centre of attention. A TV reporter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/donald-trump-is-the-kind-of-guy-that-wants-you-to-like-him-he-wants/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) > [I think Donald Trump is now kind of in love with the idea of becoming president of the United States. I think he truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/i-think-donald-trump-is-now-kind-of-in-love-with-the-idea-of-becoming/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [It seems to me that we make a terrible mistake in talking about Trump as some kind of essence of evil. Trump is symptomatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-mistake-in-talking-about-trump/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [I had a very weird, very vivid dream. Donald Trump and I were in some kind of room. It was an office with pictures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-lindell/i-had-a-very-weird-very-vivid-dream-donald-trump-and-i-were-in-some/) [Mike Lindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-lindell/) > [“I LIKE FIRE... I LIKE THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF IT... I JUST COULDN'T STOP MYSELF FROM PLAYING WITH... - DOES it mean that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/i-like-fire-i-like-the-whole-concept-of-it-i-just-couldn-t-stop/) Deyth Banger > [“The conscientious arsonist doesn't just set the building on fire; first he fills the fire extinguishers with petrol.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-holt/the-conscientious-arsonist-doesn-t-just-set-the-building-on-fire/) [Tom Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-holt/) ## More by Jonathan Capehart > [Caught in a racial uproar, people make all sorts of promises to make amends. Whatever they do tends to be heavy on symbolism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/caught-in-a-racial-uproar-people-make-all-sorts-of-promises-to-make/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [I know I'm more forgiving than most African Americans when it comes to second chances for White people who not only commit a racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/i-know-i-m-more-forgiving-than-most-african-americans-when-it-comes/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [Look, as an institutionalist who recognizes the power of incrementalism in the slow but steady march to equality, I'm used to seeing the forest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/look-as-an-institutionalist-who-recognizes-the-power-of/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [Our Declaration of Independence declares that democracies derive their power from the 'consent of the governed.' But this democracy will fail if only some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/our-declaration-of-independence-declares-that-democracies-derive/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to be nominated for and to win an Oscar. It was a step forward, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/in-1940-hattie-mcdaniel-became-the-first-african-american-to-be/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [Woke supremacy' ranks up there with that tired crutch of the right known as 'cancel culture.' The purpose of both phrases is to shield…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/woke-supremacy-ranks-up-there-with-that-tired-crutch-of-the-right/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [One of the burdens of being a black male is carrying the heavy weight of other people’s suspicions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/one-of-the-burdens-of-being-a-black-male-is-carrying-the-heavy-weight/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [I love taking photos of the American flag fluttering in the wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/i-love-taking-photos-of-the-american-flag-fluttering-in-the-wind/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [We'll never understand this country as long as book banning, tip lines and legislation to bubble-wrap the tender White souls among us continue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/we-ll-never-understand-this-country-as-long-as-book-banning-tip-lines/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [Scapegoating is as American as apple pie. And because there's almost always a racial or ethnic dynamic to it in our country, scapegoating is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/scapegoating-is-as-american-as-apple-pie-and-because-there-s-almost/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [The fight for women's rights is all our fight. It always has been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/the-fight-for-women-s-rights-is-all-our-fight-it-always-has-been/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [The harsh truth is that 'respectability' is the exorbitant tax we African Americans are forced to pay daily as we try to live out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/the-harsh-truth-is-that-respectability-is-the-exorbitant-tax-we/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [One of the best strategies to learn something new during an interview is to ask the subject if there was a question they wished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/one-of-the-best-strategies-to-learn-something-new-during-an-interview/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [If you've been to a pride parade, you know it's a celebration of acceptance and inclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/if-you-ve-been-to-a-pride-parade-you-know-it-s-a-celebration-of/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [In our system of equal branches of government, whatever plan the advocates are demanding from Biden will have to stand on its own in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/in-our-system-of-equal-branches-of-government-whatever-plan-the/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) [Explore all 105 Jonathan Capehart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) ## More Arsonist quotes > [“The conscientious arsonist doesn't just set the building on fire; first he fills the fire extinguishers with petrol.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-holt/the-conscientious-arsonist-doesn-t-just-set-the-building-on-fire/) [Tom Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-holt/) > [“I LIKE FIRE... I LIKE THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF IT... I JUST COULDN'T STOP MYSELF FROM PLAYING WITH... - DOES it mean that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/i-like-fire-i-like-the-whole-concept-of-it-i-just-couldn-t-stop/) Deyth Banger > [What's taken God 200 years to create was wiped out in a couple of days by what was apparently an arsonist, And it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-janklow/what-s-taken-god-200-years-to-create-was-wiped-out-in-a-couple-of/) [Bill Janklow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-janklow/) > [“LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE UNHAPPY...SO LAUGH INSANELY, KISS SOFTLY, AND MAKE LOVE PASSIONATELY…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muffin/life-is-too-short-to-be-unhappy-so-laugh-insanely-kiss-softly-and/) Muffin > [The innovative leader has to be an arsonist and a firefighter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sloane/the-innovative-leader-has-to-be-an-arsonist-and-a-firefighter/) [Paul Sloane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sloane/) > [“The arsonist and the firefighter occupy the same ground; time is the only difference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faisal-khosa/the-arsonist-and-the-firefighter-occupy-the-same-ground-time-is-the/) Faisal Khosa > [“I didn't realize there was a ranking." I said. "Sadie frowned. "What do you mean?" "A ranking," I said. "You know, what's crazier than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-thomas-ford/i-didn-t-realize-there-was-a-ranking-i-said-sadie-frowned-what-do-you/) [Michael Thomas Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-thomas-ford/) > [According to the oil and gas industry and their proponents, I am a communist, terrorist, Nazi, Russian-sympathizing, anti-American, arsonist, extremist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/according-to-the-oil-and-gas-industry-and-their-proponents-i-am-a/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [We now know that a neo-conservative is an arsonist who sets the house on fire and six years later boasts that no one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/we-now-know-that-a-neo-conservative-is-an-arsonist-who-sets-the-house/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [The serial arsonist is the most difficult to apprehend because the evidence is burned up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/the-serial-arsonist-is-the-most-difficult-to-apprehend-because-the/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [The professional arsonist builds vacant lots for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-breslin/the-professional-arsonist-builds-vacant-lots-for-money/) [Jimmy Breslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-breslin/) > [I always had a pretty serious fascination with fire. Luckily I'm not an arsonist!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-always-had-a-pretty-serious-fascination-with-fire-luckily-i-m-not/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [A good organizer is a social arsonist who goes around setting people on fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ross/a-good-organizer-is-a-social-arsonist-who-goes-around-setting-people/) [Fred Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ross/) > [“Not enough youths fighting windmills. And the old are fearful, jaded or dead. Do not ask me what to do. I am just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psyche-roxas-mendoza/not-enough-youths-fighting-windmills-and-the-old-are-fearful-jaded-or/) [psyche roxas-mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psyche-roxas-mendoza/) > [God is a refiner, not an arsonist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neva-coyle/god-is-a-refiner-not-an-arsonist/) [Neva Coyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neva-coyle/) [Browse all 23 Arsonist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arsonist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have long known that former president Donald Trump is the kind of racial arsonist who brings a gas can to an inferno.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan Capehart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/we-have-long-known-that-former-president-donald-trump-is-the-kind-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arsonist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/we-have-long-known-that-former-president-donald-trump-is-the-kind-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/jonathan-capehart-4932_arsonist_we-have-long-known-that-former-president_807107.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/jonathan-capehart-4932_arsonist_we-have-long-known-that-former-president_807107.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/jonathan-capehart-4932_arsonist_we-have-long-known-that-former-president_807107.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have long known that former president Donald Trump is the kind of racial arsonist who brings a gas can to…” — Jonathan Capehart", "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": "Jonathan Capehart", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have long known that former...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/we-have-long-known-that-former-president-donald-trump-is-the-kind-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/we-have-long-known-that-former-president-donald-trump-is-the-kind-of/#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 } } ] } ```