Donald Rumsfeld Quotes

109 Sourced Quotes

When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.

Donald Rumsfeld
Is it likely that an aircraft carrier or a cruise missile is going to find a person?

Donald Rumsfeld
Pieces of intelligence, scraps of intelligence…you run down leads and you run down leads, and you hope that sometimes it works.

Donald Rumsfeld
We'll have to deal with the networks. One of the ways to do that is to drain the swamp they live in. And that means dealing not only with the terrorists, but those who harbor terrorists. This will take a long, sustained effort. It will require the support of the American people as well as our friends and allies around the world.

Donald Rumsfeld
I stand for 8-10 hours a day. Why is standing limited to four hours?

Donald Rumsfeld
I suppose the implication of that is the president and the vice president and myself and Colin Powell just fell off a turnip truck to take these jobs.

Donald Rumsfeld
Public servants are paid to serve the American people. Do it well.

Donald Rumsfeld
Stuff happens…and it's untidy, and freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.
On looting in Iraq

Donald Rumsfeld
Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive.

Donald Rumsfeld
The most underestimated risk for a politician is overexposure.

Donald Rumsfeld
Then there are three or four countries that have said they won't do anything. I believe Libya, Cuba and Germany are ones that have indicated they won't help in any respect.

Donald Rumsfeld
One of your tasks is to separate the 'personal' from the 'substantive.' The two can become confused, especially if someone rubs the President wrong.

Donald Rumsfeld
In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it.

Donald Rumsfeld
Amidst all the clutter, beyond all the obstacles, aside from all the static, are the goals set. Put your head down, do the best job possible, let the flak pass, and work towards those goals.

Donald Rumsfeld
Go massive. Sweep it all up. Things related and not.

Donald Rumsfeld
The natural state of man is to want to be free. To have opportunities. To have choices.
On Arab Spring, saying that he wasn't surprised by popular uprisings of Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia

Donald Rumsfeld
Let's hear it for the essential daily briefing, however hollow and empty it might be. We'll do it.

Donald Rumsfeld
When you raise issues with the President, try to come away with both that decision and also a precedent. Pose issues so as to evoke broader policy guidance. This can help to answer a range of similar issues likely to arise later.

Donald Rumsfeld
Keep your sense of humor. As General Joe Stillwell said, 'The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind'.

Donald Rumsfeld
You and a few other critics are the only people I've heard use the phrase immediate threat. I didn't, the president didn't. And it's become kind of folklore that that's what's happened.

Donald Rumsfeld
I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today would last five days, or five weeks, or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last any longer than that.

Donald Rumsfeld
If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.

Donald Rumsfeld
Those who follow orders to commit such crimes will be found and they will be punished. War crimes will be prosecuted. And it will be no excuse to say, 'I was just following orders.' Any official involved in such crimes will forfeit hope of amnesty or leniency with respect to past action.

Donald Rumsfeld
And it is not knowable if force will be used, but if it is to be used, it is not knowable how long that conflict would last. It could last, you know, six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.

Donald Rumsfeld
It's a difficult thing today to be informed about our government even without all the secrecy.

Donald Rumsfeld
I'm not into this detail stuff. I'm more concepty.

Donald Rumsfeld
But no terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Donald Rumsfeld
You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think, plan, develop, launch and tap good people to be responsible. Give them authority and hold them accountable. Trying to do too much yourself creates a bottleneck.

Donald Rumsfeld
Congress, the press, and the bureaucracy too often focus on how much money or effort is spent, rather than whether the money or effort actually achieves the announced goal.

Donald Rumsfeld
I don't believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that Iraq had nuclear weapons.

Donald Rumsfeld