--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Back when Donald Trump was just starting…" description: "\"Back when Donald Trump was just starting in the primaries, and I was asked, 'What do you think of Trump?' I would say, 'Donald Trump is a great example..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/michael-kelly-18780_donald-trump_back-when-donald-trump-was-just-starting_539597.jpg" --- # Back when Donald Trump was just starting in the primaries… ![“Back when Donald Trump was just starting in the primaries, and I was asked, 'What do you think of Trump?' I would say, 'Donald Trump is a great example of someone in our country being able to truly do anything. You can dream, you can do it. And that's a great example of that. But when the…” quote by Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/michael-kelly-18780_donald-trump_back-when-donald-trump-was-just-starting_539597.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/michael-kelly-18780_donald-trump_back-when-donald-trump-was-just-starting_539597.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/michael-kelly-18780_donald-trump_back-when-donald-trump-was-just-starting_539597.jpg) > “Back when Donald Trump was just starting in the primaries, and I was asked, 'What do you think of Trump?' I would say, 'Donald Trump is a great example of someone in our country being able to truly do anything. You can dream, you can do it. And that's a great example of that. But when the primaries are over, Donald Trump will be gone.'” [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) ## 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 portrayed as a symbol of limitless ambition, yet his influence may be fleeting after the primaries. **In simple terms:** Trump shows limitless ambition but may fade after primaries. Key Takeaway Recognize temporary hype and focus on lasting values. Themes ambition politics transience Mood critical reflective Type political observational When to use this quote - campaign strategy - media analysis - personal ambition - public perception Key Concepts American politics celebrity culture Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate lasting influence from momentary hype? - What values endure beyond political cycles? A Different Perspective The quote may overstate Trump's lasting impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I believe, I believe that the people who voted in those primaries for Donald Trump were at least helping him along with his message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-klein/i-believe-i-believe-that-the-people-who-voted-in-those-primaries-for/) [Joe Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-klein/) > [ \[Donald\] Trump has a great capacity to use bluster and bigotry to inflame people.He is becoming ISIS's best recruiter. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/donald-trump-has-a-great-capacity-to-use-bluster-and-bigotry-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I'm not an intimate of Donald Trump, but I have great instincts about people, and I have fairly good skill at sizing people up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-m-not-an-intimate-of-donald-trump-but-i-have-great-instincts-about/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I've never heard Donald Trump say that he watches 'House of Cards,' but I'd be really shocked if he didn't because he appears to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/i-ve-never-heard-donald-trump-say-that-he-watches-house-of-cards-but/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [If we turn our backs on the remaining industries and not reinvest in these places and just say 'You're on your own,' we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fetterman/if-we-turn-our-backs-on-the-remaining-industries-and-not-reinvest-in/) [John Fetterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fetterman/) > [Donald Trump can say whatever he wants and his supporters don't mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/donald-trump-can-say-whatever-he-wants-and-his-supporters-don-t-mind/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) > [ If you think that people today, like Hollywood, are ever gonna sing \[Donald\] Trump's praises, it's never gonna happen. It's only going to get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/if-you-think-that-people-today-like-hollywood-are-ever-gonna-sing/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The President Donald Trump has great difficulty with the truth on many issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-corker/the-president-donald-trump-has-great-difficulty-with-the-truth-on/) [Bob Corker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-corker/) > [Donald Trump is a great friend, and he has four or five Picassos on his plane. And that's where I would look at them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/donald-trump-is-a-great-friend-and-he-has-four-or-five-picassos-on/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Donald Trump is great at the one-liners, but he's a chaos candidate and he'd be a chaos president. He would not be the commander…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-montagne/donald-trump-is-great-at-the-one-liners-but-he-s-a-chaos-candidate/) [Renee Montagne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-montagne/) > [ Donald \[Trump\], is great at - at the one-liners, but he's a chaos candidate. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/donald-trump-is-great-at-at-the-one-liners-but-he-s-a-chaos-candidate/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [Donald Trump is great television, just has it. Trump looks good on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-great-television-just-has-it-trump-looks-good-on-tv/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Donald Trump has a great campaign slogan: 'A complex world demands complex hair.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/donald-trump-has-a-great-campaign-slogan-a-complex-world-demands/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [People generally have the idea that Donald Trump is a great communicator. And the press has acknowledged this guy has extraordinary communication skills. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ruddy/people-generally-have-the-idea-that-donald-trump-is-a-great/) [Christopher Ruddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ruddy/) > [Trump's - has great negatives, enormous negatives, a lot of people say they simply won't vote for him. So if he's gotten media, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-folkenflik/trump-s-has-great-negatives-enormous-negatives-a-lot-of-people-say/) [David Folkenflik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-folkenflik/) ## More by Michael Kelly > [I like to think I'm a good, kind person who does the right thing, but I don't ever feel sorry for someone who didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/i-like-to-think-i-m-a-good-kind-person-who-does-the-right-thing-but-i/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [I worked construction clean-up. I was driving a pickup truck at the age of 14 on a construction site. I loved building and being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/i-worked-construction-clean-up-i-was-driving-a-pickup-truck-at-the/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [I learn from Kevin Spacey and Tom Hardy, watching these guys work, the things they all do differently. Tom never stops exploring and discovering,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/i-learn-from-kevin-spacey-and-tom-hardy-watching-these-guys-work-the/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [We don't have a problem killing off characters on 'House of Cards.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/we-don-t-have-a-problem-killing-off-characters-on-house-of-cards/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [I had actually studied political science in college. I had dreams of being a lawyer at one time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/i-had-actually-studied-political-science-in-college-i-had-dreams-of/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [I had a dream to be an attorney. I don't know if I ever would've passed the bar or not, but that was my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/i-had-a-dream-to-be-an-attorney-i-don-t-know-if-i-ever-would-ve/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [In the beginning, I aspired just to make a comfortable living in acting. I still feel the same - it's just that my standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/in-the-beginning-i-aspired-just-to-make-a-comfortable-living-in/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [The most important thing you can do as an actor is bring as much of yourself to the character to ground the character in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/the-most-important-thing-you-can-do-as-an-actor-is-bring-as-much-of/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [I've done so many jobs. As an actor, you have to. I didn't have my parents footing the bill when I moved to New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/i-ve-done-so-many-jobs-as-an-actor-you-have-to-i-didn-t-have-my/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [I've never heard Donald Trump say that he watches 'House of Cards,' but I'd be really shocked if he didn't because he appears to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/i-ve-never-heard-donald-trump-say-that-he-watches-house-of-cards-but/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [First and foremost, it's my mom and dad who gave me the foundation, the belief in me that I could do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/first-and-foremost-it-s-my-mom-and-dad-who-gave-me-the-foundation-the/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [Yeah, I probably got in too much trouble as a youth to be a politician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/yeah-i-probably-got-in-too-much-trouble-as-a-youth-to-be-a-politician/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [People always ask me, 'Hey, what's Matt Damon like?' He's just a dude, just a really good person and one hell of an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/people-always-ask-me-hey-what-s-matt-damon-like-he-s-just-a-dude-just/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [I studied political science, and when I fell into acting in college - it was just a total fluke that I became an actor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/i-studied-political-science-and-when-i-fell-into-acting-in-college-it/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [This country, the people of our country, owe our military so much. These are the people that go out there and literally risk their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/this-country-the-people-of-our-country-owe-our-military-so-much-these/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) [Explore all 34 Michael Kelly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) ## More Donald trump quotes > [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. I think every Christian needs to make up his own mind about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-m-not-here-trying-to-convince-anybody-to-vote-for-donald-trump-i/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [We're going to create factory jobs for recent immigrants, and Donald Trump is going to take care of them. That's why his numbers, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/we-re-going-to-create-factory-jobs-for-recent-immigrants-and-donald/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [When it comes to bullying small businesses, Donald Trump is the poster boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-it-comes-to-bullying-small-businesses-donald-trump-is-the-poster/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Donald Trump has been rewriting the rules since he got into politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-michael-cillizza/donald-trump-has-been-rewriting-the-rules-since-he-got-into-politics/) [Christopher Michael Cillizza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-michael-cillizza/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [At minimum, we must recognize that there are legitimate, unanswered questions about whether the Obama Justice Department involved themselves in a political project targeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/at-minimum-we-must-recognize-that-there-are-legitimate-unanswered/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [ Donald Trump has opened \[ politically correct enforcement\] up wide. He's made a very bold statement and he's backed it back just a little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-has-opened-politically-correct-enforcement-up-wide-he-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Donald Trump doesn't necessarily stay mad for very long. He's a transactional guy. If you can offer him something, he will take it. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/donald-trump-doesn-t-necessarily-stay-mad-for-very-long-he-s-a/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [Donald Trump so far is sending a signal that he's going to run the government like his business and maybe that's going to work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/donald-trump-so-far-is-sending-a-signal-that-he-s-going-to-run-the/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [If we turn our backs on the remaining industries and not reinvest in these places and just say 'You're on your own,' we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fetterman/if-we-turn-our-backs-on-the-remaining-industries-and-not-reinvest-in/) [John Fetterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fetterman/) > [ \[Donald Trump\] knows he's going to get hit, though. He's the president. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/donald-trump-knows-he-s-going-to-get-hit-though-he-s-the-president/) [Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/) Browse all 2,538 Donald trump quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Back when Donald Trump was just starting in the primaries, and I was asked, 'What do you think of Trump?' I would say, 'Donald Trump is a great example of someone in our country being able to truly do anything. You can dream, you can do it. And that's a great example of that. 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