John Dean Professions : Former White House Counsel Born : October 14, 1938 Browse All Authors Top 41 quotes by John Dean I began by telling the President that there was a cancer growing on the presidency, and if the cancer was not removed, the president himself would be killed by it. John Dean cancer president would-be History never exactly repeats itself, but it does some rather good impressions. John Dean repeats impression doe Had the Senate or House, or both, censured or somehow warned Richard Nixon, the tragedy of Watergate might have been prevented. Hopefully the Senate will not sit by while even more serious abuses unfold before it. John Dean abuse tragedy house There's a cancer on the presidency. John Dean presidency cancer I fear for the democratic system. And I fear for our liberties. Only a small group of people fights for our liberties. Once we start on the slippery slope and those people are put in jeopardy, then we're really in trouble. John Dean Americans like to give their President the benefit of the doubt. If you look at the poll numbers, people knew Nixon was deeply involved in Watergate and stayed with him for a long time. It's a natural tendency. John Dean numbers long people An answer is always a form of death. John Dean form answers Who voted for Trump? Who are these people who, as he famously said, would let him shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and still support him? It's people who want too strong a leader, who would do what that leader tells them. Similar to the Europeans following Mussolini and Hitler. There's a streak in humanity that likes that kind of leader. That's Trump's core. Authoritarianism. John Dean support strong people There's no good that can come out of secrecy. John Dean secrecy Bush had expertise in one thing: How to run a Presidential campaign. He understands campaigns and Presidential politics. He has no interest or disposition or I think probably - he's not stupid, but he's not bright, he's not a rocket scientist - he isn't interested in policy. John Dean stupid running thinking 9/11 changed everything. We lose more Americans every year drowning in the bathtub than through terrorism. But terrorism has been used as a lever to frighten people, pass legislation, sound tough and coerce us into giving away our rights in pursuit of phantom problems. John Dean tough giving people There's a political reality about impeachment. It's purely a political process. The interpretation of "high crimes and misdemeanors" can reach a long way, all the way to sex in the Oval Office, which was an absurd use of the impeachment clause. John Dean office long reality Doing time is like climbing a mountain wearing roller skates. John Dean climbing mountain time I don't think Trump is a deeply self-aware person. But he's absolutely off the charts as a narcissist. He is the consummate narcissistic salesman. He is in fact a sick man. And that's potentially very dangerous. The only positive thing about Trump is that he has no ideology, he is an empty vessel, surrounded by people who give him ideas, and it only matters which ideas will shine the light on Trump. John Dean men people thinking Bill Rehnquist makes Barry Goldwater look like a liberal. John Dean bills looks I've been surfing so many years and it's a pretty strong part of my life so I'm not gonna give that up. John Dean strong giving years Trump hasn't really done anything yet to abuse his powers. I don't even know if he knows what all his powers are as president. And that worries me. He will learn. After he learns how the presidency works, he could become much more dangerous, because his personality doesn't change. Once presidents find their powers, they don't give them up. They use them. John Dean personality worry giving Americans like to give their President the benefit of the doubt. John Dean president doubt giving Donald Trump hasn't blown us up yet. But he terrifies me. For one thing, the incompetence. He doesn't have any real understanding of how the presidency works or even how Washington works. The only comfort I have is that he is so imcompetent that he can't do anything to cause a real problem. John Dean understanding real comfort There is only one thing Donald Trump is interested in, and that's Donald Trump. John Dean Similar Authors Harriet Miers former-white-house-counsel Charles Ruff former-white-house-counsel Charles Colson former-white-house-counsel Fred F. Fielding former-white-house-counsel Lloyd Cutler former-white-house-counsel Theodore C. Sorensen former-white-house-counsel All Authors
