---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If he [Hugo Chavez] thinks we're trying…"
description: "\"If he [Hugo Chavez] thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it.\" — Pat Robertson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/pat-robertson-1972_assassinate_if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to_2881249.png"
---

#  If he \[Hugo Chavez\] thinks we're trying to assassinate…

![“If he &#91;Hugo Chavez&#93; thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it.” quote by Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/pat-robertson-1972_assassinate_if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to_2881249.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/pat-robertson-1972_assassinate_if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to_2881249.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/pat-robertson-1972_assassinate_if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to_2881249.png)

> “If he \[Hugo Chavez\] thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it.”

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

If Chavez believes he’s being targeted, the speaker suggests taking decisive, possibly violent, action against him.

**In simple terms:** Suggests aggressive response to perceived threats.

Key Takeaway

Weigh consequences before acting on fear.

Themes

politics conflict power threats

Mood

cautionary critical

Type

political ethical

When to use this quote

- political opposition
- security concerns
- media narratives

Key Concepts

authoritarianism violence paranoia

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the risks of violent retaliation?
- Can dialogue replace aggression?

A Different Perspective

Encourages escalation without due process.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Assassinate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assassinate/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [ You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if \[President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela\] thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/you-know-i-don-t-know-about-this-doctrine-of-assassination-but-if/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [“Boss, she's a \_Dragon\_. They don't \_believe\_ in assassination. They consider it a \_crime\_. If you go up to her and--" "Kragar," I interrupted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-brust/boss-she-s-a-dragon-they-don-t-believe-in-assassination-they-consider/)

[Steven Brust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-brust/)

> [See, Quentin, that’s why you should wear a cup before trying to assassinate someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/see-quentin-that-s-why-you-should-wear-a-cup-before-trying-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ We have the ability to take him \[President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez\] out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/we-have-the-ability-to-take-him-president-of-venezuela-hugo-chavez/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [Anybody else want to assassinate drama starters or is it just me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-else-want-to-assassinate-drama-starters-or-is-it-just-me/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Every person we assassinate dies to serve a greater purpose." "I'm sure they would be happy if they knew it," Ileni said sarcastically, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-cypess/every-person-we-assassinate-dies-to-serve-a-greater-purpose-i-m-sure/)

[Leah Cypess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-cypess/)

> [As far as anybody in the rap game ever tryin' to assassinate my character, that's impossible. You talkin' about a man who has always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suge-knight/as-far-as-anybody-in-the-rap-game-ever-tryin-to-assassinate-my/)

[Suge Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suge-knight/)

> [Assassinate me you may; intimidate me you cannot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-philpot-curran/assassinate-me-you-may-intimidate-me-you-cannot/)

[John Philpot Curran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-philpot-curran/)

> [“When a police officer is pointing a gun at you, pulling your pants up is a proven way of getting you legally killed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/when-a-police-officer-is-pointing-a-gun-at-you-pulling-your-pants-up/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [In America, you assassinate president. In Soviet Russia, president assassinate you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yakov-smirnoff/in-america-you-assassinate-president-in-soviet-russia-president/)

[Yakov Smirnoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yakov-smirnoff/)

> [Typically, you get a year in prison for making a threat to assassinate the president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/typically-you-get-a-year-in-prison-for-making-a-threat-to-assassinate/)

[Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/)

> [“Anyway, if the Cetagandans really wanted to assassinate you, they'd hardly do it here. They'd slip something subtle under your skin that wouldn't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/anyway-if-the-cetagandans-really-wanted-to-assassinate-you-they-d/)

[Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/)

> [If I said what I was really thinking about this f\*\*ked up world, the government would assassinate me like all the other people they've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ryan/if-i-said-what-i-was-really-thinking-about-this-f-ked-up-world-the/)

[Lee Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ryan/)

> [We can export terrorism. We can assassinate and set fires inside the territory of the United States as it did to all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muammar-al-gaddafi/we-can-export-terrorism-we-can-assassinate-and-set-fires-inside-the/)

[Muammar al-Gaddafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muammar-al-gaddafi/)

> [“She could assassinate streets with her eyes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dionne-brand/she-could-assassinate-streets-with-her-eyes/)

[Dionne Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dionne-brand/)

## More by Pat Robertson

> [ We have the ability to take him \[President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez\] out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/we-have-the-ability-to-take-him-president-of-venezuela-hugo-chavez/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [The Constitution was made for ordinary people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/the-constitution-was-made-for-ordinary-people/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [I've personally backed off from direct political involvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/i-ve-personally-backed-off-from-direct-political-involvement/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [It is interesting, that termites don't build things, and the great builders of our nation almost to a man have been Christians, because Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/it-is-interesting-that-termites-don-t-build-things-and-the-great/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [But I never, never thought of the ministry nor did - of course, television when I was growing up, there was no television. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/but-i-never-never-thought-of-the-ministry-nor-did-of-course/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [But if there's an erosion at home, you know, Thomas Jefferson warned about a tyranny of an oligarchy and if we surrender our democracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/but-if-there-s-an-erosion-at-home-you-know-thomas-jefferson-warned/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [ I believe that he \[Jesus\] is Lord of the government, and the church, and business and education, and, hopefully, one day, Lord of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/i-believe-that-he-jesus-is-lord-of-the-government-and-the-church-and/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [I have a relatively good track record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/i-have-a-relatively-good-track-record/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [The Democratic Party went far to the left, I think, and left some of us stranded on the beach, so we went to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/the-democratic-party-went-far-to-the-left-i-think-and-left-some-of-us/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [They have kept us in submission because they have talked about separation of church and state. There is no such thing in the Constitution.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/they-have-kept-us-in-submission-because-they-have-talked-about/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [We want...as soon as possible to see a majority of the Republican Party in the hands of pro-family Christians by 1996.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/we-want-as-soon-as-possible-to-see-a-majority-of-the-republican-party/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [A government official is a man who has risen from obscurity to something worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/a-government-official-is-a-man-who-has-risen-from-obscurity-to/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [The Katrina matter was terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/the-katrina-matter-was-terrible/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [You might get AIDS in Kenya, people have AIDS, you’ve got to be careful. I mean, the towels could have AIDS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/you-might-get-aids-in-kenya-people-have-aids-you-ve-got-to-be-careful/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [To say that it all came about 6,000 years ago is just nonsense, and I think it's time we come off of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/to-say-that-it-all-came-about-6-000-years-ago-is-just-nonsense-and-i/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

[Explore all 193 Pat Robertson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

## More Assassinate quotes

> [Assassinate me you may; intimidate me you cannot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-philpot-curran/assassinate-me-you-may-intimidate-me-you-cannot/)

[John Philpot Curran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-philpot-curran/)

> [“Anyway, if the Cetagandans really wanted to assassinate you, they'd hardly do it here. They'd slip something subtle under your skin that wouldn't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/anyway-if-the-cetagandans-really-wanted-to-assassinate-you-they-d/)

[Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/)

> [If I said what I was really thinking about this f\*\*ked up world, the government would assassinate me like all the other people they've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ryan/if-i-said-what-i-was-really-thinking-about-this-f-ked-up-world-the/)

[Lee Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ryan/)

> [Anybody else want to assassinate drama starters or is it just me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-else-want-to-assassinate-drama-starters-or-is-it-just-me/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We can export terrorism. We can assassinate and set fires inside the territory of the United States as it did to all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muammar-al-gaddafi/we-can-export-terrorism-we-can-assassinate-and-set-fires-inside-the/)

[Muammar al-Gaddafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muammar-al-gaddafi/)

> [See, Quentin, that’s why you should wear a cup before trying to assassinate someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/see-quentin-that-s-why-you-should-wear-a-cup-before-trying-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“She could assassinate streets with her eyes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dionne-brand/she-could-assassinate-streets-with-her-eyes/)

[Dionne Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dionne-brand/)

> [Typically, you get a year in prison for making a threat to assassinate the president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/typically-you-get-a-year-in-prison-for-making-a-threat-to-assassinate/)

[Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/)

> [In America, you assassinate president. In Soviet Russia, president assassinate you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yakov-smirnoff/in-america-you-assassinate-president-in-soviet-russia-president/)

[Yakov Smirnoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yakov-smirnoff/)

> [“When a police officer is pointing a gun at you, pulling your pants up is a proven way of getting you legally killed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/when-a-police-officer-is-pointing-a-gun-at-you-pulling-your-pants-up/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [As far as anybody in the rap game ever tryin' to assassinate my character, that's impossible. You talkin' about a man who has always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suge-knight/as-far-as-anybody-in-the-rap-game-ever-tryin-to-assassinate-my/)

[Suge Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suge-knight/)

> [“Every person we assassinate dies to serve a greater purpose." "I'm sure they would be happy if they knew it," Ileni said sarcastically, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-cypess/every-person-we-assassinate-dies-to-serve-a-greater-purpose-i-m-sure/)

[Leah Cypess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-cypess/)

> [They can't kill your dreams, so they assassinate your character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/they-can-t-kill-your-dreams-so-they-assassinate-your-character/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [The best way to make somebody feel important is to try to assassinate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/the-best-way-to-make-somebody-feel-important-is-to-try-to-assassinate/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [Just to assassinate Michael Brown's character is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lacy-clay-jr/just-to-assassinate-michael-brown-s-character-is-wrong/)

[William Lacy Clay, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lacy-clay-jr/)

[Browse all 36 Assassinate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assassinate/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If he [Hugo Chavez] thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Pat Robertson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to-assassinate-him-i-think-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Assassinate"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to-assassinate-him-i-think-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/pat-robertson-1972_assassinate_if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to_2881249.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/pat-robertson-1972_assassinate_if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to_2881249.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/pat-robertson-1972_assassinate_if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to_2881249.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If he [Hugo Chavez] thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do…” — Pat Robertson",
                "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": "Pat Robertson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If he [Hugo Chavez] thinks we're...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to-assassinate-him-i-think-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/if-he-hugo-chavez-thinks-we-re-trying-to-assassinate-him-i-think-that/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
