"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."
About John Dean
John Dean — Life and Legacy
John Dean, as the White House counsel during the Watergate scandal, played a pivotal role in exposing the truth behind one of America's most significant political crises. His experiences during this tumultuous period shaped his views on the necessity of accountability and integrity in governance. Dean's assertion that 'the truth is the only thing that matters' reflects his belief that honesty is fundamental to restoring public trust in political institutions. He challenged the norms of silence and complicity that often pervade political circles, advocating instead for transparency and ethical leadership. Dean's insights continue to resonate today, as they remind us of the moral responsibilities that come with power and the need for unwavering commitment to truth in public life. His quotes serve as a call to action for both leaders and citizens to prioritize honesty and accountability, emphasizing that the health of democracy relies on these principles.
Quote collection
John Dean quotes (page 1 of 2)
26 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"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."
"History never exactly repeats itself, but it does some rather good impressions."
"There's a cancer on the presidency."
"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."
"An answer is always a form of death."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"There's no good that can come out of secrecy."
"Warrantless wiretapping is an impeachable offense. It couldn't be any clearer."
"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."
"Doing time is like climbing a mountain wearing roller skates."
"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."
"There is only one thing Donald Trump is interested in, and that's Donald Trump."
"To me the fact that a Vice President can go to Capitol Hill and lobby for torture is just unbelievable. Just unbelievable! The fact that a small clique of attorneys in the Department of Justice can write how can we get around the Geneva Conventions so that we can torture during interrogations - I can't even get their mentally. And when you read their briefs, they didn't get there mentally."
"Bill Rehnquist makes Barry Goldwater look like a liberal."