--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Trump has claimed he knows more about…" description: "\"Trump has claimed he knows more about ISIS than America's leading generals. Clearly, this is also total nonsense; he doesn't seem to have done the slig..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/peter-bergen-1880_america_trump-has-claimed-he-knows-more-about-is_88661.png" --- # Trump has claimed he knows more about ISIS than America's… ![“Trump has claimed he knows more about ISIS than America's leading generals. Clearly, this is also total nonsense; he doesn't seem to have done the slightest thing to educate himself about ISIS.” quote by Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/peter-bergen-1880_america_trump-has-claimed-he-knows-more-about-is_88661.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/peter-bergen-1880_america_trump-has-claimed-he-knows-more-about-is_88661.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/peter-bergen-1880_america_trump-has-claimed-he-knows-more-about-is_88661.png) > “Trump has claimed he knows more about ISIS than America's leading generals. Clearly, this is also total nonsense; he doesn't seem to have done the slightest thing to educate himself about ISIS.” [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker criticizes a political figure for claiming expertise on a complex security issue without any substantive knowledge or effort to learn. **In simple terms:** Unsubstantiated claims Key Takeaway Ignorance masquerades as authority Themes politics expertise credibility security media Mood skeptical critical Type political commentary analysis When to use this quote - political debates - media analysis - policy discussions Key Concepts ISIS leadership knowledge Practical Applications - evaluate source credibility - inform public discourse Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports expertise claims? - How should the public verify authority? A Different Perspective Some argue that leaders must sometimes rely on advisors rather than personal expertise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Educate Isis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educate-isis-1108638/) [Generals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generals/) [Isis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isis/) [Isis America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isis-america-1108640/) [Knows Isis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows-isis-1108639/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [Trump Claimed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-claimed-235596/) ## Related quotes > [When I'm looking for a leader who's going to fight ISIS and keep America secure, I don't want some meek and mild leader or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/when-i-m-looking-for-a-leader-who-s-going-to-fight-isis-and-keep/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) > [Donald Trump says he knows more about ISIS than the generals. No, he doesn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/donald-trump-says-he-knows-more-about-isis-than-the-generals-no-he/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS's ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the pope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-and-when-the-vatican-is-attacked-by-isis-which-as-everyone-knows/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Developing a strategy, leading the world, funding it to make sure that we have a military that's second to none, and doing the job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/developing-a-strategy-leading-the-world-funding-it-to-make-sure-that/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [While Donald Trump claimed during the campaign that he would be a 'friend' to the LGBTQ community, we knew it was likely one more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mcbride/while-donald-trump-claimed-during-the-campaign-that-he-would-be-a/) [Sarah McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mcbride/) > [What happened in the US is a regression to the domination side of the social scale. Trump claimed that he, as a "strongman," would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riane-eisler/what-happened-in-the-us-is-a-regression-to-the-domination-side-of-the/) [Riane Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riane-eisler/) > [At CNN, we didn't let candidates' claims go unchecked. So, for example, in an interview with me, when Trump claimed he had never expressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisyn-camerota/at-cnn-we-didn-t-let-candidates-claims-go-unchecked-so-for-example-in/) [Alisyn Camerota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alisyn-camerota/) > [If Trump claimed something was the most luxurious, it was likely a dank, low-end casino in Atlantic City.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/if-trump-claimed-something-was-the-most-luxurious-it-was-likely-a/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [In late May 2016, an ISIS spokesman called for attacks in the West during the month of Ramadan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/in-late-may-2016-an-isis-spokesman-called-for-attacks-in-the-west/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [ISIS is even at war with its most natural ally, al Qaeda in Syria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-is-even-at-war-with-its-most-natural-ally-al-qaeda-in-syria/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Think of ISIS as a pathogen that preys on weak hosts in the Muslim world. In fact, there is something of a political law:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/think-of-isis-as-a-pathogen-that-preys-on-weak-hosts-in-the-muslim/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Adding to your list of enemies is never a sound strategy, yet ISIS' ferocious campaign against the Shia, Kurds, Yazidis, Christians, and Muslims who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/adding-to-your-list-of-enemies-is-never-a-sound-strategy-yet-isis/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [ISIS' key social media-encrypted platform is Telegram, which is engineered by a Berlin-based tech company that can simply ignore the rulings of American federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-key-social-media-encrypted-platform-is-telegram-which-is/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The Sunni militants that make up ISIS are not the underlying problem in Syria and Iraq, but rather they are a symptom of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-sunni-militants-that-make-up-isis-are-not-the-underlying-problem/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [ISIS despises the Russian government for its support of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and so it's no surprise that ISIS began targeting Russia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-despises-the-russian-government-for-its-support-of-the-syrian/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) ## More by Peter Bergen > [So Pakistan is a country that I'm very fond of and have spent a lot of time, but it is a country where conspiracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/so-pakistan-is-a-country-that-i-m-very-fond-of-and-have-spent-a-lot/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The Trump administration launched the cruise missile strikes in Syria, an act of war, without a U.N. resolution or Congressional authorization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-trump-administration-launched-the-cruise-missile-strikes-in-syria/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The deep problems that afflict the Middle East are not easy to fix, but they must be dealt with if we are not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-deep-problems-that-afflict-the-middle-east-are-not-easy-to-fix/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The dirty little secret of the intelligence world is that much of what you really need to know isn't exactly a secret anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-dirty-little-secret-of-the-intelligence-world-is-that-much-of/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Abedi appears to be one of the many thousands of Western Muslims who have embraced militant Islam, often as a way of trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/abedi-appears-to-be-one-of-the-many-thousands-of-western-muslims-who/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [If you don't understand what al Qaeda was trying to do on 9/11, if you don't have a sense of who Osama bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-you-don-t-understand-what-al-qaeda-was-trying-to-do-on-9-11-if-you/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [As early as 1993, members of bin Laden's group had been planning an attack on the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/as-early-as-1993-members-of-bin-laden-s-group-had-been-planning-an/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The reality is that Trump's focus on immigrants is to misconceive of the terrorist problem that exists in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-reality-is-that-trump-s-focus-on-immigrants-is-to-misconceive-of/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [ISIS despises the Russian government for its support of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and so it's no surprise that ISIS began targeting Russia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-despises-the-russian-government-for-its-support-of-the-syrian/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The Sunni militants that make up ISIS are not the underlying problem in Syria and Iraq, but rather they are a symptom of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-sunni-militants-that-make-up-isis-are-not-the-underlying-problem/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Keeping a relatively small, predominantly U.S. Special Forces presence in Afghanistan to continue to train the Afghan army past December 2016 is a wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/keeping-a-relatively-small-predominantly-u-s-special-forces-presence/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [One of the themes of 'The Longest War,' my book, which came out before the Arab spring happened, was how al-Qaida and bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/one-of-the-themes-of-the-longest-war-my-book-which-came-out-before/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Because 9/11 was carried out by 19 foreign-born Arab hijackers, many assume that all terrorists who attack the West are foreigners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/because-9-11-was-carried-out-by-19-foreign-born-arab-hijackers-many/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [I was the only outsider to visit the Abbottabad compound where bin Laden lived before the Pakistani military demolished it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/i-was-the-only-outsider-to-visit-the-abbottabad-compound-where-bin/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Hydrogen peroxide-based bombs were used in the London bombings in 2005; in al Qaeda's foiled plot to attack subways in New York City in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/hydrogen-peroxide-based-bombs-were-used-in-the-london-bombings-in/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) [Explore all 201 Peter Bergen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) ## 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People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. 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