--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: was the first president to use the…" description: "\"“was the first president to use the Internal Revenue Service as a weapon against opponents.”\" — Norman Moss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/norman-moss-45351_quote_was-the-first-president-to-use-the-inter_1417109.jpg" --- # was the first president to use the Internal Revenue… ![“was the first president to use the Internal Revenue Service as a weapon against opponents.” quote by Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/norman-moss-45351_quote_was-the-first-president-to-use-the-inter_1417109.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/norman-moss-45351_quote_was-the-first-president-to-use-the-inter_1417109.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/norman-moss-45351_quote_was-the-first-president-to-use-the-inter_1417109.jpg) > ““was the first president to use the Internal Revenue Service as a weapon against opponents.”” [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) ## 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 suggests a leader weapon a government agency to target political enemies. **In simple terms:** A president used the IRS to attack opponents. Key Takeaway Beware of power misuse. Themes politics abuse of power government agencies Mood cautious critical Type political historical When to use this quote - elections - policy debates - legal challenges - media scrutiny Key Concepts authoritarianism political repression Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens hold leaders accountable? - What safeguards protect against agency abuse? A Different Perspective Such tactics can erode democratic institutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ## Related quotes > [U.S. Internal Revenue Service: an agency modeled after the revenue raising concepts of the 19th century economist, Jesse James.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/u-s-internal-revenue-service-an-agency-modeled-after-the-revenue/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Just like American families, government agencies need to start doing more with less, and the Internal Revenue Service is no exception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/just-like-american-families-government-agencies-need-to-start-doing/) [Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/) > [Why is it appropriate for the President to use a racial slur in any context?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-welker/why-is-it-appropriate-for-the-president-to-use-a-racial-slur-in-any/) [Kristen Welker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-welker/) > [“Congressional Democrats want the current president to use the enormous raw power vested in his office by Article II to achieve statist transformation. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/congressional-democrats-want-the-current-president-to-use-the/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [The effect of that is to poison the flow of information to the President himself and to create a situation where a President can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/the-effect-of-that-is-to-poison-the-flow-of-information-to-the/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [You know, gentlemen, that I do not owe any personal income tax. 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But government is not about asking. It is about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/liberals-love-to-say-things-like-we-re-just-asking-everyone-to-pay/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [ \[The Internal Revenue Code is\] about 10 times the size of the Bible and, unlike the Bible, contains no good news ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-nickles/the-internal-revenue-code-is-about-10-times-the-size-of-the-bible-and/) [Don Nickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-nickles/) > [The Internal Revenue Service is more ruthless than the Gestapo. Abolish the IRS! Stamp out organized crime!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evel-knievel/the-internal-revenue-service-is-more-ruthless-than-the-gestapo/) [Evel Knievel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evel-knievel/) > [No one in America fully understands the constantly changing Internal Revenue Code. 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Edward Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-edward-griffin/) > [It is simply unfair for the Internal Revenue Service to lay claim to the bulk of a small business or farm when a death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-hyde-smith/it-is-simply-unfair-for-the-internal-revenue-service-to-lay-claim-to/) [Cindy Hyde-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-hyde-smith/) > [When I hear the president of the United States in a great little rhetorical flourish talk about the leavening hand of the government, everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hannity/when-i-hear-the-president-of-the-united-states-in-a-great-little/) [Sean Hannity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hannity/) > [If we don't do something to simplify the tax system, we're going to end up with a national police force of internal revenue agents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/if-we-don-t-do-something-to-simplify-the-tax-system-we-re-going-to/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) ## More by Norman Moss > [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [ “Churchill replied: “To fire willfully\[23\] on women and children is a disgraceful act, and I am surprised you do not order the officers responsible… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/churchill-replied-to-fire-willfully-23-on-women-and-children-is-a/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [“You have sat here too long for any good you may be doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you! In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/you-have-sat-here-too-long-for-any-good-you-may-be-doing-depart-i-say/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [“I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/i-will-say-it-is-to-wage-war-by-sea-land-and-air-with-all-our-might/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [“What’s the difference between Chamberlain and Hitler? Chamberlain takes a weekend in the country, Hitler takes a country in a weekend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/what-s-the-difference-between-chamberlain-and-hitler-chamberlain/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [“spite of every lie uttered or printed, the truth comes to the top, and it is known alike by peoples and rulers, that on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/spite-of-every-lie-uttered-or-printed-the-truth-comes-to-the-top-and/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [“That generation was inoculated against any attempt in its own country by its own leaders to foment a war by shouting rhetorical slogans or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/that-generation-was-inoculated-against-any-attempt-in-its-own-country/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [“This was the authentic voice of the educated British middle class, unshakable in its tone, meeting the war with light-hearted fortitude and an insistently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/this-was-the-authentic-voice-of-the-educated-british-middle-class/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) [Explore all 9 Norman Moss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) ## More President quotes > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) Daniel K Judd > [There's more than 1700 emails out of the thirty three thousand Hillary Clinton emails that we've published, just about Libya. 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Rhodes [Browse all 9,921 President quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“was the first president to use the Internal Revenue Service as a weapon against opponents.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Norman Moss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/was-the-first-president-to-use-the-internal-revenue-service-as-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "President" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/was-the-first-president-to-use-the-internal-revenue-service-as-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/norman-moss-45351_quote_was-the-first-president-to-use-the-inter_1417109.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/norman-moss-45351_quote_was-the-first-president-to-use-the-inter_1417109.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/norman-moss-45351_quote_was-the-first-president-to-use-the-inter_1417109.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“was the first president to use the Internal Revenue Service as a weapon against opponents.” — Norman Moss", "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": "Norman Moss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“was the first president to use...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/was-the-first-president-to-use-the-internal-revenue-service-as-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/was-the-first-president-to-use-the-internal-revenue-service-as-a/#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 } } ] } ```