--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Operatives knew the game, and so did most…" description: "\"“Operatives knew the game, and so did most candidates and officeholders. But Ailes was pretty sure Trump did not.Trump was undisciplined—he had no capa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec8/michael-wolff-423_game-plan_operatives-knew-the-game-and-so-did-most_142222.jpg" --- # Operatives knew the game, and so did most candidates and… ![“Operatives knew the game, and so did most candidates and officeholders. But Ailes was pretty sure Trump did not.Trump was undisciplined—he had no capacity for any game plan. He could not be a part of any organization, nor was he likely to subscribe to any program or principle. In Ailes’s view, he…” quote by Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec8/michael-wolff-423_game-plan_operatives-knew-the-game-and-so-did-most_142222.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec8/michael-wolff-423_game-plan_operatives-knew-the-game-and-so-did-most_142222.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec8/michael-wolff-423_game-plan_operatives-knew-the-game-and-so-did-most_142222.jpg) > ““Operatives knew the game, and so did most candidates and officeholders. But Ailes was pretty sure Trump did not.Trump was undisciplined—he had no capacity for any game plan. He could not be a part of any organization, nor was he likely to subscribe to any program or principle. In Ailes’s view, he was “a rebel without a cause.” He was simply “Donald”—as though nothing more need be said.”” [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes Trump as lacking strategic discipline, unable to fit into organized structures or adhere to consistent principles, making him appear as an aimless rebel. **In simple terms:** Trump is portrayed as undisciplined and lacking a clear agenda. Key Takeaway Recognize the impact of leaderlessness on organizational stability. Themes leadership politics discipline organization rebellion Mood critical analytical skeptical Type observational political commentary When to use this quote - campaign management - team building - policy development - crisis response - public perception Key Concepts strategic planning identity consistency authority political behavior Questions to Reflect On - How does a leader’s lack of discipline affect team cohesion? - Can charisma compensate for strategic emptiness? A Different Perspective A lack of a clear agenda can still mobilize support through charisma, which may offset some organizational drawbacks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Did Candidates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-candidates-1604467/) [Did Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-trump-317386/) [Game plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game-plan/) [Rebel Without A Cause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rebel-without-a-cause/) [Sure Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-trump-1604468/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Trump Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-did-604795/) [Trump Undisciplined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-undisciplined-1604466/) ## Related quotes > [“Not only did Trump disregard the potential conflicts of his business deals and real estate holdings, he audaciously refused to release his tax returns.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/not-only-did-trump-disregard-the-potential-conflicts-of-his-business/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [A war of words escalated between the president-elect and a civil rights icon. 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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/) > [“he could yet make a case for a straight line from Nixon to Trump.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/he-could-yet-make-a-case-for-a-straight-line-from-nixon-to-trump/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“it confirmed Bannon’s worst fear: Trump, in his true heart, was a marshmallow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/it-confirmed-bannon-s-worst-fear-trump-in-his-true-heart-was-a/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“An important aspect of Kaplan’s New York Observer and its self-conscious inside media baseball was that the paper became the prime school for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/an-important-aspect-of-kaplan-s-new-york-observer-and-its-self/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“The candidate who billed himself as a billionaire—ten times over—refused even to invest his own money in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-candidate-who-billed-himself-as-a-billionaire-ten-times-over/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [If institutions don't grow, they... well, I don't know what happens to them, because they always grow. 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Please use the search function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-index-that-appeared-in-the-print-version-of-this-title-does-not/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Trump liked to say that one of the things that made life worth living was getting your friends’ wives into bed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-liked-to-say-that-one-of-the-things-that-made-life-worth-living/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“The kids”—Jared and Ivanka—exhibited an increasingly panicked sense that the FBI and DOJ were moving beyond Russian election interference and into family finances. “Ivanka…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-kids-jared-and-ivanka-exhibited-an-increasingly-panicked-sense/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [I am old enough to think the word 'journalist' is not all that noble a designation. Journalist - that record keeper, quote taker and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/i-am-old-enough-to-think-the-word-journalist-is-not-all-that-noble-a/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Politics had seemed to become, even well before the age of Trump, a mortal affair. It was now zero-sum: When one side profited, another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/politics-had-seemed-to-become-even-well-before-the-age-of-trump-a/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) [Explore all 570 Michael Wolff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) ## More Game plan quotes > [There's so many things running through your mind. If you can formulate a game plan that works for you and allows you to block…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-arrieta/there-s-so-many-things-running-through-your-mind-if-you-can-formulate/) [Jake Arrieta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-arrieta/) > [Hollywood has never been a goal, necessarily - there was no 'Conquer America' game plan for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/hollywood-has-never-been-a-goal-necessarily-there-was-no-conquer/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [Trying to manage a project without project management is like trying to play a football game without a game plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-manage-a-project-without-project-management-is-like-trying/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For every winner, there's a loser. And that person didn't really need to lose. They just didn't understand the game plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/for-every-winner-there-s-a-loser-and-that-person-didn-t-really-need/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [...there's no rule book or game plan when it comes to the grim realities of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/there-s-no-rule-book-or-game-plan-when-it-comes-to-the-grim-realities/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [“In the end, we do not so much reclaim what we have lost as discover a significantly new self in and through the process.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-the-end-we-do-not-so-much-reclaim-what-we-have-lost-as-discover-a/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [We go into any game with a game plan to win the game and try our best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mullin/we-go-into-any-game-with-a-game-plan-to-win-the-game-and-try-our-best/) [Paul Mullin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mullin/) > [In the playoffs, you're so locked in on guys' tendencies that in some ways it's easier defensively to go in games with a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-huerter/in-the-playoffs-you-re-so-locked-in-on-guys-tendencies-that-in-some/) [Kevin Huerter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-huerter/) > [My whole game plan was to direct movies. I knew if I made a reputation in theater, I would get offers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schultz/my-whole-game-plan-was-to-direct-movies-i-knew-if-i-made-a-reputation/) [Michael Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schultz/) > [We just have to go after our game plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-manning/we-just-have-to-go-after-our-game-plan/) [Eli Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-manning/) > [Formulate a specific game plan... the specific steps in making your intention come to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-allen/formulate-a-specific-game-plan-the-specific-steps-in-making-your/) [Robert G. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-allen/) > [Thinking about your role will automatically get you in the frame of mind to get your strategy and game plan right before you step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/thinking-about-your-role-will-automatically-get-you-in-the-frame-of/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [Our right to Exist & to Exit from this world is in hands with Omni-existent Power. Then the rules for our rights & wrongs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farrukh-sheikh/our-right-to-exist-to-exit-from-this-world-is-in-hands-with-omni/) [Farrukh Sheikh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farrukh-sheikh/) > [When a group in front of me is on the green and I'm in the fairway, I'm already getting ready. I'm getting my numbers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelly-korda/when-a-group-in-front-of-me-is-on-the-green-and-i-m-in-the-fairway-i/) [Nelly Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelly-korda/) > [If you want to coach you have three rules to follow to win. One, surround yourself with people who can't live without football. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/if-you-want-to-coach-you-have-three-rules-to-follow-to-win-one/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) [Browse all 214 Game plan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game-plan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Operatives knew the game, and so did most candidates and officeholders. But Ailes was pretty sure Trump did not.Trump was undisciplined—he had no capacity for any game plan. He could not be a part of any organization, nor was he likely to subscribe to any program or principle. 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