--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think there was certainly contact…" description: "\"I think there was certainly contact between the Trump campaign and Russians, which is perfectly normal. All campaigns in the modern age have contact wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/masha-gessen-2322_age_i-think-there-was-certainly-contact-betw_2206753.png" --- # I think there was certainly contact between the Trump… ![“I think there was certainly contact between the Trump campaign and Russians, which is perfectly normal. All campaigns in the modern age have contact with representatives of foreign governments.” quote by Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/masha-gessen-2322_age_i-think-there-was-certainly-contact-betw_2206753.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/masha-gessen-2322_age_i-think-there-was-certainly-contact-betw_2206753.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/masha-gessen-2322_age_i-think-there-was-certainly-contact-betw_2206753.png) > “I think there was certainly contact between the Trump campaign and Russians, which is perfectly normal. All campaigns in the modern age have contact with representatives of foreign governments.” [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Foreign contacts are common in modern politics, though they raise ethical concerns. **In simple terms:** Campaigns often talk to foreign officials. Key Takeaway Scrutinize foreign influence in politics. Themes politics ethics foreign relations Mood critical analytical Type political informative When to use this quote - election campaigns - policy negotiations - international conferences Key Concepts democracy national security transparency Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards should exist? - How can voters stay informed? A Different Perspective Normalizing such contacts can erode public trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) ## Related quotes > [There was absolutely no discussion of Russia on the Trump campaign 'til the day I left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caputo/there-was-absolutely-no-discussion-of-russia-on-the-trump-campaign/) [Michael Caputo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caputo/) > [The truth is there was no collusion with the Russians and the Trump campaign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-whitaker/the-truth-is-there-was-no-collusion-with-the-russians-and-the-trump/) [Matthew Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-whitaker/) > [The fact remains that we're running a presidential campaign. And we're doing that through appearances like today, fund-raisers like today, where Donald Trump was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/the-fact-remains-that-we-re-running-a-presidential-campaign-and-we-re/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [I joined presidential campaign in the summer, and I can tell you that all the contact by the Donald Trump campaign and associates was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/i-joined-presidential-campaign-in-the-summer-and-i-can-tell-you-that/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [I'm not connected to the Trump campaign in any way, shape, or form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/i-m-not-connected-to-the-trump-campaign-in-any-way-shape-or-form/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [The George Wallace campaign in 1968 was the model for the Trump campaign in 2016.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-george-wallace-campaign-in-1968-was-the-model-for-the-trump/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The only thing I can stand about the Trump campaign are Ivanka's shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-navarro/the-only-thing-i-can-stand-about-the-trump-campaign-are-ivanka-s-shoes/) [Ana Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-navarro/) > [“The Trump campaign had, perhaps less than inadvertently, replicated the scheme from Mel Brooks’s The Producers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-trump-campaign-had-perhaps-less-than-inadvertently-replicated-the/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [In some ways, backing the Trump campaign was even harder than battling for Brexit. I received almost total condemnation, including from many senior figures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/in-some-ways-backing-the-trump-campaign-was-even-harder-than-battling/) [Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/) > [I volunteered to join Mr. Trump's campaign because he is a champion of working families, not Washington-Wall Street elites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-huckabee-sanders/i-volunteered-to-join-mr-trump-s-campaign-because-he-is-a-champion-of/) [Sarah Huckabee Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-huckabee-sanders/) > [I was not won over by Trump's campaign in 2016, but I can admit that he had an uncanny ability to read a room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-tarlov/i-was-not-won-over-by-trump-s-campaign-in-2016-but-i-can-admit-that/) [Jessica Tarlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-tarlov/) > [Even though Mr. Trump can give his campaign as much of his own money as he wants to, he can't ask other people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/even-though-mr-trump-can-give-his-campaign-as-much-of-his-own-money/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [ I never had meetings with Russian operatives or Russian intermediaries about the \[Donald\] Trump campaign. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/i-never-had-meetings-with-russian-operatives-or-russian/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [“He would come out of this campaign, Trump assured Ailes, with a far more powerful brand and untold opportunities. “This is bigger than I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/he-would-come-out-of-this-campaign-trump-assured-ailes-with-a-far/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [I think you see a clear pattern of people in the Trump campaign coordinating with Russians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-quigley/i-think-you-see-a-clear-pattern-of-people-in-the-trump-campaign/) [Mike Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-quigley/) ## More by Masha Gessen > [There's this American pretense, which is the pretense of the journalist with the view from nowhere - which has somehow morphed into the journalist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/there-s-this-american-pretense-which-is-the-pretense-of-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Where incompetence is prized, it is ever-present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/where-incompetence-is-prized-it-is-ever-present/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Pussy Riot have certainly changed some people's assumptions about the role of political art and the relationship between the intelligentsia and the church. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/pussy-riot-have-certainly-changed-some-people-s-assumptions-about-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Trump, like Putin, has a demonstrably thin skin and short temper when it comes to being criticized by journalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/trump-like-putin-has-a-demonstrably-thin-skin-and-short-temper-when/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [You risk everything if you so much as join a legal protest demonstration in Russia. It raises the stakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/you-risk-everything-if-you-so-much-as-join-a-legal-protest/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Donald Trump creates word salads. 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They maintain that sense of mobilization that's essential for totalitarian societies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/poverty-and-scarcity-are-actually-very-good-for-totalitarian/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I think that Putin's strategy has been throwing a lot of money, fairly haphazardly, at a lot of projects aimed at disrupting Western relations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-that-putin-s-strategy-has-been-throwing-a-lot-of-money-fairly/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Both Trump and Putin use language primarily to communicate not facts or opinions but power: it's not what the words mean that matters but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/both-trump-and-putin-use-language-primarily-to-communicate-not-facts/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I worked both as a Russian journalist and an American journalist and ran a bunch of magazines in Moscow over the course of about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-worked-both-as-a-russian-journalist-and-an-american-journalist-and/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I have no doubt that there are Russian efforts to disturb the fabric of American democracy, but they're disruption efforts. 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