American Quote by Michiko Kakutani
“With his mendacity and increasingly virulent attacks on immigrants, Muslims, women, the press, the judiciary, the intelligence services, the F.B.I. - any group or institution that he finds threatening or useful as a scapegoat - Mr. Trump is attempting the Orwellian trick of redefining American reality on his own terms.”
About This Quote
Source Article: New York Times Review, 2020
Trump uses scapegoating and distortion to reshape reality, blaming various groups to serve his agenda.
In simple terms: Trump blames others to control the narrative.
Key Takeaway
Question the motives behind political scapegoating.
Themes
politics
media
truth
manipulation
scapegoating
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
political
media
When to use this quote
- election campaigns
- media analysis
- public policy debates
- social media commentary
Key Concepts
propaganda
authoritarian tactics
public discourse
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do leaders resort to scapegoating?
- What are the consequences of redefining reality?
A Different Perspective
It may oversimplify complex issues by focusing on blame.
![“[Donald] Trump is explained with the intersection of a number of things: our economic crisis, the way it's easier to blame immigrants, with the happenstance that he discovered that by bashing Latino immigrants and characterizing them as "rapists" and "murderers" and "scumbags," suddenly he's got…” quote by Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/256/junot-diaz-531_blame_donald-trump-is-explained-with-the-inter_2934593.jpg)
![“[Donald] Trump has a great capacity to use bluster and bigotry to inflame people.He is becoming ISIS's best recruiter.” quote by Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/660/hillary-clinton-51_becoming_donald-trump-has-a-great-capacity-to-use_355732.jpg)
