A Very Stable Genius: on Principles & Values


Donald Trump: OpEd: Human hand grenade: razed and remade Washington

Trump has delivered in part on his promise to be a human hand grenade, to raise and remake Washington. He has weakened the regulatory state, toughened border enforcement, and refashioned the federal judiciary, including with two nominations to the Supreme Court--all priorities for his conservative political base. Trump also transformed America's trade posture, weakening multilateral agreements, which he believed allowed smaller countries to take advantage of us, and forging new bilateral accords on more favorable terms. He inherited a growing economy from president Obama and kept it humming, even as economists in 2019 predicted an eventual downturn. As Trump often reminded his critics, he has been a president like no other.
Source: A Very Stable Genius, by P.Rucker & C.Leonnig, p. 3 Jan 21, 2020

Donald Trump: There are those that think I'm a very stable genius

The title of this book borrows Trumps own words. In January 2018, Trump said. "I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star to President of the United States (on my first try). "I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius. and a very stable genius at that!" Trump invoked the "stable genius" phrase at least four additional times
  1. At a NATO summit, in July 2018, he labeled himself "a very stable genius" as he tried to dismiss a reporter's question about whether he would reverse his support for NATO.
  2. In a July 2019 tweet storm, Trump wrote of himself, "What you have now, so great looking and smart, a true Stable genius!"
  3. In September 2019, Trump quoted himself on twitter by writing; A Very Stable Genius!" Thank you."
  4. And in October 2019, as he defended his conduct on a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Trump remarked ,"There are those that think I'm a very stable genius, okay? I watch my words very, very closely."
Source: A Very Stable Genius, by P.Rucker & C.Leonnig, p. 6 Jan 21, 2020

Donald Trump: 2018: Trump's lawyer disbarred for Stormy Daniel payoff

On April 8, 2018 Trump was asked about payments to Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who claimed Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen gave her $130,000 to keep quiet about a sexual encounter with Trump:

Q: "Did you know about the $130,000 payment to Daniels?

"No," Trump said.

Q: "Then why did Michael Cohen make [the payment] if there is no truth to the allegations?"

Trump replied, "Michael is my attorney; you'll have to ask Michael."

On April 9, federal agents search [Cohen's home]; simultaneously, agents showed up at his office, cordoning off the area to collect computers, servers and boxes of files, including tax returns and other financial records.

Cohen was not merely Trump's attorney. He was his virtual vault--the keeper of his secrets and executor of his wishes, from business deals to personal affairs.

[Follow-up: Cohen was disbarred and pled guilty to eight counts including campaign finance violations, tax fraud, and bank fraud.]

Source: A Very Stable Genius, by P.Rucker & C.Leonnig, p.236-7 Jan 21, 2020

Donald Trump: FactCheck: 2016 was Trump's 3rd run for presidency, not 1st

The term "Stable Genius," the title of the book, comes from a core fact that can be fact-checked:

In January 2018, a national discussion was under way about the presidents fitness for office--specifically, his mental acuity and physiological health. "Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart," he continued. "I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star to President of the United States (on my first try).

Is it true that Trump became president on his first try? No! He ran in 1999-2000 (see his Jan. 2000 campaign book, The America We Deserve), for the Reform Party nomination, and ran in 2011-2012 (see his Dec. 2011 campaign book, Time to Get Tough), for the Republican Party nomination. The mainstream press forgets those two campaigns, and Trump capitalized on that complicity in 2016--which was his third try, not his first!

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on A Very Stable Genius, p. 6 Jan 21, 2020

  • The above quotations are from A Very Stable Genius
    Donald J. Trump's Testing of America
    by Philip Rucker & Carol Leonnig    .
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Principles & Values.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Donald Trump on Principles & Values.
2020 Presidential contenders on Principles & Values:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Apr 26, 2021