Donald Rumsfeld Quotes

A collection of quotes by Donald Rumsfeld.

Donald Rumsfeld (1932-2021) was an American politician, businessman, and government official. Born on July 9, 1932, in Illinois, Rumsfeld had an extensive career in public service spanning several decades. He served as the United States Secretary of Defense twice, first from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and later under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006.

Rumsfeld's political career began in the late 1960s when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois' 13th congressional district. He was later appointed as Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity and served as an advisor to President Richard Nixon.

During his tenure as Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld played a significant role in shaping U.S. foreign and defense policy. He led the Department of Defense during the 9/11 attacks and played a key role in the subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Rumsfeld's tenure at the Pentagon was marked by his implementation of innovative military strategies and controversial decisions regarding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After leaving public office, Rumsfeld remained active in public discourse, serving on numerous boards and writing a memoir about his experiences in government and defense. However, he passed away on June 29, 2021, in New Mexico at the age of 88. Donald Rumsfeld's legacy continues to be a subject of debate and analysis, with his impact on American foreign policy remaining a topic of discussion.

Leave the President's family business to him. You will have

Leave the President's family business to him. You will have plenty to do without trying to manage the First Family. They are likely to do fine without your help.

Donald Rumsfeld


The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the fi

The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential program is truly a federal responsibility or whether it can better be handled privately, by voluntary organizations, or by local or state governments.

Donald Rumsfeld

Government

You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only

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

Time

Think ahead. Don't let day-to-day operations drive out plann

Think ahead. Don't let day-to-day operations drive out planning.

Donald Rumsfeld

Planning Inspire Time Management

Amidst all the clutter, beyond all the obstacles, aside from

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

Best

Congress, the press, and the bureaucracy too often focus on

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

Money

Success tends to go not to the person who is error-free, bec

Success tends to go not to the person who is error-free, because he also tends to be risk-averse. Rather it goes to the person who recognizes that life is pretty much a percentage business. It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.

Donald Rumsfeld

Success & Failure

It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting th

It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.

Donald Rumsfeld

Mistakes

Listening to both sides does not necessarily bring about a c

Listening to both sides does not necessarily bring about a correct judgment.

Donald Rumsfeld

Judgment Judging

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we kno

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know.

Donald Rumsfeld

Known Things Unknowns

Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war.

Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war.

Donald Rumsfeld

Death

In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true t

In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone.

Donald Rumsfeld

Work

In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities

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

Donald Rumsfeld

Politics

Secretary Powell and I agree on every single issue that has

Secretary Powell and I agree on every single issue that has ever been before this administration except for those instances where Colin's still learning.

Donald Rumsfeld

Learning

Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It

Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3,000. It's tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children.

Donald Rumsfeld

Women

Presidential leadership needn't always cost money. Look for

Presidential leadership needn't always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective.

Donald Rumsfeld

Leadership

Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are n

Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.

Donald Rumsfeld

Leadership

Many people around the President have sizeable egos before e

Many people around the President have sizeable egos before entering government, some with good reason. Their new positions will do little to moderate their egos.

Donald Rumsfeld

Government

Politics is human beings it's addition rather than subtracti

Politics is human beings it's addition rather than subtraction.

Donald Rumsfeld

Politics

Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, tr

Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, train them and back them. When errors occur, give sharper guidance. If errors persist or if the fit feels wrong, help them move on. The country cannot afford amateur hour in the White House.

Donald Rumsfeld

Best