--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our president may lie, but he will lie…" description: "\"“Our president may lie, but he will lie effectively and spectacularly, with all the epic stagecraft and lighting and special effects available to the W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/matt-taibbi-2257_american-president_our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-ef_1650144.jpg" --- # Our president may lie, but he will lie effectively and… ![“Our president may lie, but he will lie effectively and spectacularly, with all the epic stagecraft and lighting and special effects available to the White House publicity apparatus. He is never a hack, never a half-assed, off-the-cuff, squirming, my-dog-ate-my-homework sort of liar. Or at least he…” quote by Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/matt-taibbi-2257_american-president_our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-ef_1650144.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/matt-taibbi-2257_american-president_our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-ef_1650144.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/matt-taibbi-2257_american-president_our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-ef_1650144.jpg) > ““Our president may lie, but he will lie effectively and spectacularly, with all the epic stagecraft and lighting and special effects available to the White House publicity apparatus. He is never a hack, never a half-assed, off-the-cuff, squirming, my-dog-ate-my-homework sort of liar. Or at least he wasn't until George W. Bush came around. 'They hate our freedoms' was possibly the dumbest, most insulting piece of bullshit ever to escape the lips of an American president. As an explanation for the appalling tragedy of 9/11... it was insufficient even as a calculated effort to snow an uneducated public.”” [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote criticizes a president’s sophisticated, theatrical lying, contrasting it with earlier, less polished falsehoods, and condemns the use of fear‑mongering narratives to manipulate public opinion. **In simple terms:** Presidents can lie in spectacular, staged ways to control people. Key Takeaway Beware of polished political rhetoric. Themes politics media truth manipulation leadership Mood skeptical critical concerned Type political analytical critical When to use this quote - election campaigns - press briefings - policy speeches - public debates - media analysis Key Concepts propaganda public persuasion political communication Questions to Reflect On - How do we differentiate genuine policy from theatrical spin? - What responsibilities do journalists have in exposing political falsehoods? A Different Perspective Even sophisticated lies can be exposed by critical inquiry and fact‑checking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American president](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-president/) [Liar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liar/) [Special effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-effects/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) ## Related quotes > [The most upsetting part of the new administration is discovering that the person who won the election and became the president of the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-waters/the-most-upsetting-part-of-the-new-administration-is-discovering-that/) [Maxine Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-waters/) > [“George W. Bush gave this response to the question of ‘Why do they hate us?’: ‘…They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/george-w-bush-gave-this-response-to-the-question-of-why-do-they-hate/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) > [If it were really the case that terrorists "hate us for our freedoms," we'd be getting more popular with Al Qaeda every month.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-sanchez/if-it-were-really-the-case-that-terrorists-hate-us-for-our-freedoms/) [Julian Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-sanchez/) > [“They don't hate us because of our freedoms. We have no freedoms because they hate us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alifa-rifatt/they-don-t-hate-us-because-of-our-freedoms-we-have-no-freedoms/) Alifa Rifatt > [“Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is the standard trajectory. Something new appears in the world-a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/without-ever-exactly-putting-his-mind-to-it-he-s-come-to-believe-that-2/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [We were told that we were attacked on 9/11 because the terrorists hate our freedoms and democracy ... not for the real reason: because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9-11-because-the-terrorists/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [ The American president \[George W. Bush\] closes his eyes to the economic and human damages that are inflicted on his country and the world… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurgen-trittin/the-american-president-george-w-bush-closes-his-eyes-to-the-economic/) Jurgen Trittin > [I think George Bush is the most corrupt American president since Harding in the Twenties. He is not the legitimate president. This really is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-think-george-bush-is-the-most-corrupt-american-president-since/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [“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/) > [It was interesting watching the Afghanistan war review deliberations, this three-month process where Barack Obama did the most thorough foreign policy review ever by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/it-was-interesting-watching-the-afghanistan-war-review-deliberations/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Let's get real: would any American president seriously open up their borders unconditionally to Mexico as the U.K. has done to the whole of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/let-s-get-real-would-any-american-president-seriously-open-up-their/) [Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/) > [The true sovereign is not the American president nor the English king, but the Lord of the Second Advent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/the-true-sovereign-is-not-the-american-president-nor-the-english-king/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [I happen to think that Hillary Clinton is a beacon of hope for younger girls, as was Barack Obama in other inspirational areas. We've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-meneses/i-happen-to-think-that-hillary-clinton-is-a-beacon-of-hope-for/) Alex Meneses > [The American President resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-american-president-resembles-the-commander-of-a-ship-at-sea-he/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) ## More by Matt Taibbi > [ The Congressional Record will forever show that \[Obamacare\] was passed in a romper room of overgrown children seemingly barely old enough to keep from… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/the-congressional-record-will-forever-show-that-obamacare-was-passed/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [Sniper is a movie whose politics are so ludicrous and idiotic that under normal circumstances it would be beneath criticism. The only thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/sniper-is-a-movie-whose-politics-are-so-ludicrous-and-idiotic-that/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [I get the cynicism thing all the time, although I don't really know where that comes from, because I think I'm actually the opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/i-get-the-cynicism-thing-all-the-time-although-i-don-t-really-know/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [It's really interesting that we've had this great Tea Party movement that is all about restoring free market capitalist values, but what they completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/it-s-really-interesting-that-we-ve-had-this-great-tea-party-movement/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [To be robbed and betrayed by a fiendish underground conspiracy, or by the earthly agents of Satan, is at least a romantic sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/to-be-robbed-and-betrayed-by-a-fiendish-underground-conspiracy-or-by/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > ['Nobody goes to jail.' This is the mantra of the financial-crisis era, one that saw virtually every major bank and financial company on Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/nobody-goes-to-jail-this-is-the-mantra-of-the-financial-crisis-era/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [The basic scam in the Internet age is pretty easy even for the financially illiterate to grasp. It was as if banks like Goldman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/the-basic-scam-in-the-internet-age-is-pretty-easy-even-for-the/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [For the broadcast business to be successful, viewers need to be not merely interested in our political melodramas, they have to be in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/for-the-broadcast-business-to-be-successful-viewers-need-to-be-not/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [It's not a stretch to say the whole financial industry revolves around the compass point of the absolutely safe AAA rating. But the financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/it-s-not-a-stretch-to-say-the-whole-financial-industry-revolves/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [You know what an effective deterrent to crime is? Jail! And do you know what kind of criminal penalty actually makes people think twice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/you-know-what-an-effective-deterrent-to-crime-is-jail-and-do-you-know/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [Conspiracy theorists of the world, believers in the hidden hands of the Rothschilds and the Masons and the Illuminati, we skeptics owe you an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/conspiracy-theorists-of-the-world-believers-in-the-hidden-hands-of/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [Like wars, forest fires and bad marriages, really stupid laws are much easier to begin than they are to end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/like-wars-forest-fires-and-bad-marriages-really-stupid-laws-are-much/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [You can have somebody living next door to you and you can live in a completely different world from that person, which is definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/you-can-have-somebody-living-next-door-to-you-and-you-can-live-in-a/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [George Bush and John Ashcroft were religious in a scary way, but the rational among us could always take heart that, deep down, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/george-bush-and-john-ashcroft-were-religious-in-a-scary-way-but-the/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [“People aren't pissed just to be pissed. They're mad because a tiny group of crooks on Wall Street built themselves beach houses in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/people-aren-t-pissed-just-to-be-pissed-they-re-mad-because-a-tiny/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) [Explore all 175 Matt Taibbi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) ## More American president quotes > [The American President resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-american-president-resembles-the-commander-of-a-ship-at-sea-he/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [I happen to think that Hillary Clinton is a beacon of hope for younger girls, as was Barack Obama in other inspirational areas. We've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-meneses/i-happen-to-think-that-hillary-clinton-is-a-beacon-of-hope-for/) Alex Meneses > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [The true sovereign is not the American president nor the English king, but the Lord of the Second Advent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/the-true-sovereign-is-not-the-american-president-nor-the-english-king/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) > [Let's get real: would any American president seriously open up their borders unconditionally to Mexico as the U.K. has done to the whole of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/let-s-get-real-would-any-american-president-seriously-open-up-their/) [Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/) > [It was interesting watching the Afghanistan war review deliberations, this three-month process where Barack Obama did the most thorough foreign policy review ever by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/it-was-interesting-watching-the-afghanistan-war-review-deliberations/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [“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/) > [To give credit to Lincoln for moral progression seems beyond the facts and unnecessary for our appreciation of this arguably greatest of all American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/to-give-credit-to-lincoln-for-moral-progression-seems-beyond-the/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [In fact, American presidents never apologize for what America does in war, because in the American mind, all its wars are defensive, always fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macdonald/in-fact-american-presidents-never-apologize-for-what-america-does-in/) [Neil Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macdonald/) > [President George W. Bush is the first American president to call openly for two-states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-h-hamilton/president-george-w-bush-is-the-first-american-president-to-call/) [Lee H. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-h-hamilton/) > [On the contrary, I tried on numerous occasions to convince the American president not to go to war. I did what was within my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvio-berlusconi/on-the-contrary-i-tried-on-numerous-occasions-to-convince-the/) [Silvio Berlusconi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvio-berlusconi/) > [I have never been more proud of the United States than I am this year. We have elected an African-American president. We have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/i-have-never-been-more-proud-of-the-united-states-than-i-am-this-year/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [I feel like I've always had two selves - the part of me that makes films and the part of me that's political, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-polley/i-feel-like-i-ve-always-had-two-selves-the-part-of-me-that-makes/) [Sarah Polley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-polley/) > [We went into Iraq because Saddam Hussein refused to account for his weapons of mass destruction, consistently violated UN resolutions and in a post-9/11…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-went-into-iraq-because-saddam-hussein-refused-to-account-for-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Intelligence has been commoner among American Presidents than high character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/intelligence-has-been-commoner-among-american-presidents-than-high/) [Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/) [Browse all 224 American president quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-president/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Our president may lie, but he will lie effectively and spectacularly, with all the epic stagecraft and lighting and special effects available to the White House publicity apparatus. He is never a hack, never a half-assed, off-the-cuff, squirming, my-dog-ate-my-homework sort of liar. Or at least he wasn't until George W. Bush came around. 'They hate our freedoms' was possibly the dumbest, most insulting piece of bullshit ever to escape the lips of an American president. As an explanation for the appalling tragedy of 9/11... it was insufficient even as a calculated effort to snow an uneducated public.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Taibbi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-effectively-and-spectacularly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American president" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-effectively-and-spectacularly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/matt-taibbi-2257_american-president_our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-ef_1650144.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/matt-taibbi-2257_american-president_our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-ef_1650144.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/matt-taibbi-2257_american-president_our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-ef_1650144.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our president may lie, but he will lie effectively and spectacularly, with all the epic stagecraft and…” — Matt Taibbi", "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": "Matt Taibbi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Our president may lie, but he...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-effectively-and-spectacularly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-effectively-and-spectacularly/#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 } } ] } ```