--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the President does it, it can't be…" description: "\"If the President does it, it can't be illegal.\" — Richard M. Nixon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/richard-m-nixon-727_doe_if-the-president-does-it-it-can-t-be-ill_1977177.jpg" --- # If the President does it, it can't be illegal. ![“If the President does it, it can't be illegal.” quote by Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/richard-m-nixon-727_doe_if-the-president-does-it-it-can-t-be-ill_1977177.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/richard-m-nixon-727_doe_if-the-president-does-it-it-can-t-be-ill_1977177.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/richard-m-nixon-727_doe_if-the-president-does-it-it-can-t-be-ill_1977177.jpg) > “If the President does it, it can't be illegal.” [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power can blur legal boundaries, but authority doesn't override law. **In simple terms:** Power doesn't make illegal acts legal. Key Takeaway Respect law over authority. Themes ethics law authority Mood critical concerned Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - corporate decisions - government actions - personal conduct Key Concepts legal limits political power Questions to Reflect On - When should you question a leader's directive? - How do you uphold integrity under pressure? A Different Perspective Relying on authority can erode accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does/) [Does Illegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does-illegal-3354965/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Illegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Presidency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidency/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-does-347024/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [You don't want another Enron? Here's your law: If a company, can't explain, in one sentence, what it does... it's illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/you-don-t-want-another-enron-here-s-your-law-if-a-company-can-t/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) > [When the President does it, that means that it's not illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/when-the-president-does-it-that-means-that-it-s-not-illegal/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [If the president does something dastardly, the impeachment process is available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-kavanaugh/if-the-president-does-something-dastardly-the-impeachment-process-is/) [Brett Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-kavanaugh/) > [Abraham Lincoln did not contend that his actions were immune from Congressional correction; on the contrary, he specifically said he was acting beyond the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lee-miller/abraham-lincoln-did-not-contend-that-his-actions-were-immune-from/) [William Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lee-miller/) > [I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is opposed to every instinct in my body. But as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-have-never-been-a-quitter-to-leave-office-before-my-term-is/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [Well, my constituents are happy that the Republican Party has finally gotten off its duff, seeing that we do control the House and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-rohrabacher/well-my-constituents-are-happy-that-the-republican-party-has-finally/) [Dana Rohrabacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-rohrabacher/) > [“People complain the president does nothing. I say stop complaining! Think how destructive he’d be if he actually tried to do something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/people-complain-the-president-does-nothing-i-say-stop-complaining/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [There's a sense of urgency that the president does not possess, that there is a 9/11 in the making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/there-s-a-sense-of-urgency-that-the-president-does-not-possess-that/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Sometimes it's important to watch what the president does rather than what he says.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/sometimes-it-s-important-to-watch-what-the-president-does-rather-than/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [No man should be allowed to be the President who does not understand hogs, or hasn't been around a manure pile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/no-man-should-be-allowed-to-be-the-president-who-does-not-understand/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [The president is the president. 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Sasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-e-sasse/) > [I don't get into conversations or information about anything that the president does with his personal attorney.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-grisham/i-don-t-get-into-conversations-or-information-about-anything-that-the/) [Stephanie Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-grisham/) > [When you cover the White House, which I've done on and off, it's relatively straightforward - everything the president does is news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasie-hunt/when-you-cover-the-white-house-which-i-ve-done-on-and-off-it-s/) [Kasie Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasie-hunt/) > [Being president does seem a lot more stressful than being vice president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/being-president-does-seem-a-lot-more-stressful-than-being-vice/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Legacy is what a president does that affects later generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beschloss/legacy-is-what-a-president-does-that-affects-later-generations/) [Michael Beschloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beschloss/) ## More by Richard M. 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Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [Those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/those-who-hate-you-don-t-win-unless-you-hate-them-and-then-you/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [I made my mistakes, but in all of my years in public life, I have never profited, never profited from public serviceI have earned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-made-my-mistakes-but-in-all-of-my-years-in-public-life-i-have-never/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [I know you heard what you thought I said, but what I said isn't what I meant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-know-you-heard-what-you-thought-i-said-but-what-i-said-isn-t-what-i/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [I want to be sure...that nothing is done on these veterans. 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