--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Donald Trump both disbelieves and…" description: "\"Donald Trump both disbelieves and believes in falsehoods, so that when he did thrive on his longstanding - the claim that Obama was not born in the Uni..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/robert-jay-lifton-13917_believe_donald-trump-both-disbelieves-and-believ_1580314.jpg" --- # Donald Trump both disbelieves and believes in falsehoods… ![“Donald Trump both disbelieves and believes in falsehoods, so that when he did thrive on his longstanding - the claim that Obama was not born in the United States - he's crazy like a fox in manipulating it because it gave him his political entrée onto the national stage. In order to make your…” quote by Robert Jay Lifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/robert-jay-lifton-13917_believe_donald-trump-both-disbelieves-and-believ_1580314.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/robert-jay-lifton-13917_believe_donald-trump-both-disbelieves-and-believ_1580314.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/robert-jay-lifton-13917_believe_donald-trump-both-disbelieves-and-believ_1580314.jpg) > “Donald Trump both disbelieves and believes in falsehoods, so that when he did thrive on his longstanding - the claim that Obama was not born in the United States - he's crazy like a fox in manipulating it because it gave him his political entrée onto the national stage. In order to make your falsehoods powerful, you have to believe in them in some extent. And that's why we simplify things if we say that Trump either believes nothing in his falsehoods and is just manipulating us like a fox or he completely believes them.” [Robert Jay Lifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jay-lifton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Believing in falsehoods gives them power; manipulation can be both belief and strategic deception. **In simple terms:** Falsehoods gain power when believed. Key Takeaway Recognize when belief fuels deception. Themes politics psychology manipulation Mood skeptical critical Type analytical political When to use this quote - campaign strategy - media analysis - public discourse Key Concepts Cognitive bias propaganda self-deception Questions to Reflect On - How does belief in falsehoods affect public trust? - Can strategic deception be ethical? A Different Perspective People may resist if they see manipulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believes Falsehoods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes-falsehoods-5968949/) [Crazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/) [Falsehood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehood/) [Falsehoods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehoods/) [Falsehoods Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehoods-powerful-5968950/) [Make Falsehoods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-falsehoods-5968951/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Simplify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplify/) [Thrive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrive/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Trump Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-believes-1181179/) ## Related quotes > [Donald Trump believes in America, he believes in its people. He believes in its promise, is very liberating and you see that when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/donald-trump-believes-in-america-he-believes-in-its-people-he/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [Trump believes we lead nations. Trump believes we set the example. Trump believes that American exceptionalism means just that, and anybody that wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/trump-believes-we-lead-nations-trump-believes-we-set-the-example/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Donald Trump believes that the world will be safer if more nations have nuclear weapons. And he's said Saudi Arabia should get them, Japan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/donald-trump-believes-that-the-world-will-be-safer-if-more-nations/) [Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/) > [Hillary Clinton and I believe in comprehensive immigration reform. Donald Trump believes in deportation nation. You've got to pick your choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/hillary-clinton-and-i-believe-in-comprehensive-immigration-reform/) [Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/) > [Donald Trump believes now that Barack Obama was born in the United States. 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Donald Trump believes in sensible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/donald-trump-believes-in-nation-state-democracy-hillary-clinton-used/) [Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/) > [I worry Mr. Trump believes he's special just because he's Mr. Trump and that the rules don't apply to him and the people around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-worry-mr-trump-believes-he-s-special-just-because-he-s-mr-trump-and/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [I think Donald Trump believes in democracy and the right to change of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/i-think-donald-trump-believes-in-democracy-and-the-right-to-change-of/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [Donald Trump believes in conspiracies. He has thin skin and is impulsive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/donald-trump-believes-in-conspiracies-he-has-thin-skin-and-is/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Trump believes politics is a staged fight. But it is not. Still, clear words are sometimes needed in politics. In that sense, I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/trump-believes-politics-is-a-staged-fight-but-it-is-not-still-clear/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [Trump believes all foreigners are playing us for suckers - he sees the world as a dark place. How can you lead alliances when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-daalder/trump-believes-all-foreigners-are-playing-us-for-suckers-he-sees-the/) [Ivo Daalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-daalder/) > [I expect that Trump believes we do not have an obligation to have a Cold War with Russia, but that he is very cautious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/i-expect-that-trump-believes-we-do-not-have-an-obligation-to-have-a/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) ## More by Robert Jay Lifton > [As a kid I was fascinated with sports, and I loved sports more than anything else. The first books I read were about sports,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jay-lifton/as-a-kid-i-was-fascinated-with-sports-and-i-loved-sports-more-than/) [Robert Jay Lifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jay-lifton/) > [There's more and more recognition that a carbon economy is dangerous to us economically. 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However technicized or commercial the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jay-lifton/psychologically-nothing-is-darker-or-more-menacing-or-harder-to/) [Robert Jay Lifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jay-lifton/) > [That is, we are bombarded by all kinds of images and influences and we have to fend some of them off if we're to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jay-lifton/that-is-we-are-bombarded-by-all-kinds-of-images-and-influences-and-we/) [Robert Jay Lifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jay-lifton/) > [Donald Trump doesn't have clear contact with reality, though I'm not sure it qualifies as a bona fide delusion. He needs things to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jay-lifton/donald-trump-doesn-t-have-clear-contact-with-reality-though-i-m-not/) [Robert Jay Lifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jay-lifton/) > [The language of the totalist environment is characterized by the thought-terminating cliché. 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You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Donald Trump both disbelieves and believes in falsehoods, so that when he did thrive on his longstanding - the claim that Obama was not born in the United States - he's crazy like a fox in manipulating it because it gave him his political entrée onto the national stage. In order to make your falsehoods powerful, you have to believe in them in some extent. 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