--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Things have gotten so nasty in Washington." description: "\"Things have gotten so nasty in Washington.\" — Robert M. Gates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/robert-m-gates-2972_nasty_things-have-gotten-so-nasty-in-washingto_1527872.png" --- # Things have gotten so nasty in Washington. ![“Things have gotten so nasty in Washington.” quote by Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/robert-m-gates-2972_nasty_things-have-gotten-so-nasty-in-washingto_1527872.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/robert-m-gates-2972_nasty_things-have-gotten-so-nasty-in-washingto_1527872.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/robert-m-gates-2972_nasty_things-have-gotten-so-nasty-in-washingto_1527872.png) > “Things have gotten so nasty in Washington.” [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Washington politics have become increasingly hostile and corrupt. **In simple terms:** Politics is getting nasty. Key Takeaway Advocate for integrity in governance. Themes politics corruption hostility Mood concerned serious Type political advice When to use this quote - policy making - public service - election cycles Key Concepts ethical decay polarization Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens demand better conduct? - What reforms could reduce toxicity? A Different Perspective Change may be slow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gotten Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gotten-nasty-5662466/) [Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nasty/) [Nasty Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nasty-washington-5662465/) [Things Gotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-gotten-4195827/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington/) ## Related quotes > [I know things have gotten tough. We are going to get through this together, we always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-things-have-gotten-tough-we-are-going-to-get-through-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Things had gotten -- what's the word? Dry. Things had gotten sort of dry for me. I was working as a city janitor in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/things-had-gotten-what-s-the-word-dry-things-had-gotten-sort-of-dry/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I have my detractors in Washington. There are bastards who spread things around, of course, who planted nasty things in the media. Not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/i-have-my-detractors-in-washington-there-are-bastards-who-spread/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [I will give everyday Kentuckians a voice in Washington - not just special interests or the wealthiest 1%.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/i-will-give-everyday-kentuckians-a-voice-in-washington-not-just/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) > [To cover politics in Washington allows you to live in the very, very wide gap between what the actual truth is, and how people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/to-cover-politics-in-washington-allows-you-to-live-in-the-very-very/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [People in both parties are restless for change, ready to break free of old patterns in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/people-in-both-parties-are-restless-for-change-ready-to-break-free-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [In Washington, the public and the private intertwine in such a way that they can't be easily separated. This is the city where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-graham/in-washington-the-public-and-the-private-intertwine-in-such-a-way/) [Katharine Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-graham/) > [Everything about Washington is inconsistent, because they say one thing and do another, which is what my opponent, Claire McCaskill, is very, very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-steelman/everything-about-washington-is-inconsistent-because-they-say-one/) [Sarah Steelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-steelman/) > [It takes two people to ruin a perfectly good day. First a person who says something downright nasty about you, and second, a dear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-two-people-to-ruin-a-perfectly-good-day-first-a-person-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I would be lying if I said I didn't cry at least probably three times a week from the nasty comments and stuff like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zara-mcdermott/i-would-be-lying-if-i-said-i-didn-t-cry-at-least-probably-three-times/) [Zara McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zara-mcdermott/) > [They have this social justification for every nasty thing they do!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/they-have-this-social-justification-for-every-nasty-thing-they-do/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [It would be flattering to call it a modern Dirty Harry, but I think this film deals more with the loss of his wife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-diesel/it-would-be-flattering-to-call-it-a-modern-dirty-harry-but-i-think/) [Vin Diesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-diesel/) > [The Obama administration has a nasty habit of equating basic conservative values with terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fitton/the-obama-administration-has-a-nasty-habit-of-equating-basic/) [Tom Fitton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fitton/) > [Maybe for every 100 fans who thought about saying something nasty to singer Justin Bieber this month, maybe 200 did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-bateman/maybe-for-every-100-fans-who-thought-about-saying-something-nasty-to/) [Justine Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-bateman/) > [I have developed a nasty habit of losing to the guy who wins the tournament, and that alone makes you think what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-robertson/i-have-developed-a-nasty-habit-of-losing-to-the-guy-who-wins-the/) [Neil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-robertson/) ## More by Robert M. Gates > [And so the greatest of American triumphs... became a peculiarly joyless victory. We had won the Cold War, but there would be no parades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/and-so-the-greatest-of-american-triumphs-became-a-peculiarly-joyless/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“Obama answered, “Yes. I’m no peacenik.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/obama-answered-yes-i-m-no-peacenik/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“I was seething. I told him that “the clock is ticking” and that our patience with their lack of political progress was running out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-was-seething-i-told-him-that-the-clock-is-ticking-and-that-our/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [Some people have said, in so many words, that I'm kind of wooly-headed in believing that the Iranians would see not having nuclear weapons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/some-people-have-said-in-so-many-words-that-i-m-kind-of-wooly-headed/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“Obama was the fourth president I had worked for who said outright that he wanted to eliminate all nuclear weapons (Carter, Reagan, and Bush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/obama-was-the-fourth-president-i-had-worked-for-who-said-outright/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I had no concerns - I had no reason to have concerns based on what was available to me about North's contacts with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-had-no-concerns-i-had-no-reason-to-have-concerns-based-on-what-was/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [Health care costs are eating the Defense Department alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/health-care-costs-are-eating-the-defense-department-alive/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“The passage of fourteen years had led to another significant change in the international environment. As I told Bush 43 and Condi Rice on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/the-passage-of-fourteen-years-had-led-to-another-significant-change/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I've been very sensitive for a long time to the repeated pattern, during economic hard times or after a war, of the United States'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-ve-been-very-sensitive-for-a-long-time-to-the-repeated-pattern/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I don't know General Michael Flynn well, but it's hard for me to believe anybody would allow themselves to be blackmailed by the Russians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-don-t-know-general-michael-flynn-well-but-it-s-hard-for-me-to/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I had no difficulty as Secretary of Defense moving from the Bush administration to the Obama administration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-had-no-difficulty-as-secretary-of-defense-moving-from-the-bush/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [The United States has been a global power since late in the 19th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/the-united-states-has-been-a-global-power-since-late-in-the-19th/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [My one concern is that Hu Jintao may overestimate how much power China has in Pyongyang. They have - they do have influence, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/my-one-concern-is-that-hu-jintao-may-overestimate-how-much-power/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“I thought you were my friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-thought-you-were-my-friend/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [“Soon after the raid was over, the White House released the now-famous photo of all of us watching the video in that small conference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/soon-after-the-raid-was-over-the-white-house-released-the-now-famous/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) [Explore all 143 Robert M. Gates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) ## More Nasty quotes > [I have developed a nasty habit of losing to the guy who wins the tournament, and that alone makes you think what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-robertson/i-have-developed-a-nasty-habit-of-losing-to-the-guy-who-wins-the/) [Neil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-robertson/) > [Maybe for every 100 fans who thought about saying something nasty to singer Justin Bieber this month, maybe 200 did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-bateman/maybe-for-every-100-fans-who-thought-about-saying-something-nasty-to/) [Justine Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-bateman/) > [It takes two people to ruin a perfectly good day. First a person who says something downright nasty about you, and second, a dear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-two-people-to-ruin-a-perfectly-good-day-first-a-person-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I would be lying if I said I didn't cry at least probably three times a week from the nasty comments and stuff like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zara-mcdermott/i-would-be-lying-if-i-said-i-didn-t-cry-at-least-probably-three-times/) [Zara McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zara-mcdermott/) > [They have this social justification for every nasty thing they do!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/they-have-this-social-justification-for-every-nasty-thing-they-do/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [It would be flattering to call it a modern Dirty Harry, but I think this film deals more with the loss of his wife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-diesel/it-would-be-flattering-to-call-it-a-modern-dirty-harry-but-i-think/) [Vin Diesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-diesel/) > [The Obama administration has a nasty habit of equating basic conservative values with terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fitton/the-obama-administration-has-a-nasty-habit-of-equating-basic/) [Tom Fitton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fitton/) > [America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, bad-ass speed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/america-is-all-about-speed-hot-nasty-bad-ass-speed/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [It's ok to be sassy, but I'll never be trashy, it's ok to be nasty, but you got to keep it classy now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-stone/it-s-ok-to-be-sassy-but-i-ll-never-be-trashy-it-s-ok-to-be-nasty-but/) [Joss Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-stone/) > [Gossip is never fatal until it is denied. Gossip goes on about every human being alive and about all the dead that are alive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booth-tarkington/gossip-is-never-fatal-until-it-is-denied-gossip-goes-on-about-every/) [Booth Tarkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booth-tarkington/) > [All hoes aint sweet, but they all nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-boosie/all-hoes-aint-sweet-but-they-all-nasty/) [Lil Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-boosie/) > [My dad always had music playing around us and he was always a happy chirpy man with a beautiful voice. I was always singing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-winehouse/my-dad-always-had-music-playing-around-us-and-he-was-always-a-happy/) [Amy Winehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-winehouse/) > [America is built on speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/america-is-built-on-speed-hot-nasty-badass-speed/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [That would be delightful,' agreed Flora, thinking how nasty and boring it would be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-gibbons/that-would-be-delightful-agreed-flora-thinking-how-nasty-and-boring/) [Stella Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-gibbons/) > [I don't feel any pressure to lose weight - and in any case, if I didn't have my food I'd be a nasty piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/i-don-t-feel-any-pressure-to-lose-weight-and-in-any-case-if-i-didn-t/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) [Browse all 835 Nasty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nasty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Things have gotten so nasty in Washington.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert M. 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