Russia Quote by Malcolm Nance
““The Russian spy agency had been ordered to make a bold move, hack the American elections, and engage in political warfare to elect Donald Trump President. Whether he knew it or not, Trump was the perfect candidate for a political asset. Former KGB officer Yuri Bezmenov said the KGB targeted “Ego-centric people who lack moral principles—who are either too greedy or who suffer from exaggerated self-importance. These are the people the KGB wants and finds easiest to recruit.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast on Disinformation, 2020
The KGB targeted morally weak, ego‑centric individuals as easy recruits for political manipulation.
In simple terms: KGB sought self‑absorbed, unethical people to manipulate politics.
Key Takeaway
Guard against ego‑driven susceptibility.
Themes
psychology
information warfare
ethics
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
educational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- social media usage
- political campaigning
- education curricula
- media literacy training
Key Concepts
political science
behavioral economics
national security
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies reduce ego‑centric vulnerabilities?
- What education can build moral resilience?
A Different Perspective
Not all individuals fit this profile; other recruitment methods exist.
![“Look at it from [Vladimir] Putin's perspective, right. He's a trained intelligence officer, worked for the KGB, very talented, manipulated people much smarter than Donald Trump. He played this perfectly, right. He saw that Donald Trump wanted to be complimented.” quote by Michael Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8ef/michael-morell-26084_intelligence-officer_look-at-it-from-vladimir-putin-s-perspec_2493008.jpg)
![“As we know the KGB is all over this election [2016].” quote by James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cc1/james-carville-2521_democracy_as-we-know-the-kgb-is-all-over-this-elec_2974160.jpg)
![“[T]he useful idiots, the leftists who are idealistically believing in the beauty of the Soviet socialist or Communist or whatever system, when they get disillusioned, they become the worst enemies. That’s why my KGB instructors specifically made the point: never bother with leftists. Forget about…” quote by Yuri Bezmenov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d23/yuri-bezmenov-90074_aim-high_t-he-useful-idiots-the-leftists-who-are_897408.jpg)
