"One of the key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace, good people don't go into government"
About this Quote
The subtext is a two-step absolution. First, it excuses ignorance of policy as virtue: distance from government becomes proof of integrity. Second, it shifts blame from voters and structural forces to a character flaw in “politics” itself, like corruption is an atmosphere rather than an arrangement of money, media, and power. That’s why the word “disgrace” matters. It’s not a critique you can litigate; it’s a stain you either accept or reject. Trump’s rhetorical move is to offer an identity choice, not an argument.
Contextually, this sits squarely in late-20th/early-21st-century anti-establishment sentiment, when distrust in institutions is high and “outsider” is a credential. Coming from a businessman, it also echoes corporate turnaround mythology: a broken organization needs a CEO, not a coalition. It flatters the audience as the “good people” who’ve been locked out, while smuggling in the idea that governance is mostly willpower and dealmaking. That’s the hook: indignation dressed as common sense, with a candidate-sized gap where solutions should be.
Quote Details
| Topic | Leadership |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Trump, Donald. (2026, January 17). One of the key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace, good people don't go into government. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/one-of-the-key-problems-today-is-that-politics-is-33572/
Chicago Style
Trump, Donald. "One of the key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace, good people don't go into government." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/one-of-the-key-problems-today-is-that-politics-is-33572/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"One of the key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace, good people don't go into government." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/one-of-the-key-problems-today-is-that-politics-is-33572/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.










