Paul Manafort Quotes

Powerful Paul Manafort for Daily Growth

About Paul Manafort

Paul John Manafort Jr., born on April 1, 1949, in New Britain, Connecticut, is an American political consultant with a career spanning over four decades. His life and work have been marked by significant political campaigns, controversies, and legal battles. Manafort began his political career in the early 1970s working for Republican political campaigns at local levels. He gained prominence as a political consultant during the late 1980s when he became an adviser to the presidential campaign of Ronald Reagan. One of Manafort's most influential roles was as campaign manager for Donald Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign. However, his tenure was marked by controversy and investigations into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the election. Manafort is also known for his work in international politics. He served as an adviser to various foreign political figures, including Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, for whom he orchestrated a public relations strategy that led to Yanukovych's election victory in 2010. This association would later lead to investigations and charges related to money laundering and tax evasion in Ukraine. Manafort's major works include "At the Center of Power: Inside Washington's Circle of Influence" (1987) and "Ricks' Rules: How to Make Money in Politics" (2006). Despite his significant role in American politics, Manafort has also faced numerous legal battles. In 2018, he was convicted on eight counts of tax and bank fraud as part of the Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Paul Manafort's life and work encapsulate the intricacies and controversies of modern American politics, offering a unique perspective on the inner workings of political campaigns and the role of consultants in shaping electoral outcomes.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I have never seen a more brilliant campaign in my life."

This quote indicates that Paul Manafort, a political consultant who worked on several high-profile campaigns, held the belief that he had witnessed an exceptionally effective and intelligent political campaign during his career. The brilliance he refers to could encompass various aspects of a successful campaign such as strategy, messaging, management, and execution, leaving a lasting impression on him.


"We're not doing covert. We're doing overt warfare or we're not doing it at all."

This quote by Paul Manafort highlights his belief in transparent and open conflict, as opposed to covert operations. He suggests that if the aim is to engage in warfare, it should be done openly and honestly, without hiding intentions or methods. If not, then no action should be taken at all. It implies a preference for transparency, integrity, and straightforwardness in political strategy.


"The goal is to win the election for the candidate, and that's what I do."

This quote by Paul Manafort signifies a focused and unwavering approach to campaign management. He emphasizes that the primary objective in politics is winning an election, and his role, as he sees it, is to utilize his skills and resources effectively to achieve this goal for the candidate he represents. It encapsulates the essence of a political strategist's mindset: success hinges on winning elections, and they are the ones who work diligently to make that happen.


"Politics is like a game of chess. You've got to think ahead and anticipate your opponents' moves."

The quote by Paul Manafort suggests that politics functions similarly to a game of chess, emphasizing the importance of strategic thinking and anticipating the actions of one's opponents. It implies that success in political endeavors requires careful planning, understanding the dynamics of the situation, and being prepared for potential countermeasures from adversaries. The quote underscores the need for foresight and adaptability in navigating the complexities of the political landscape.


"In politics, it's not whether you win or lose; it's how ugly you are able to make your opponent look." (This quote is often attributed to Paul Manafort but its original author is Roger Ailes)

This quote signifies a cynical perspective on the nature of politics, implying that the ultimate goal is not necessarily achieving victory through honest means or noble ideals, but rather, tarnishing one's opponents' reputation to appear more favorable by comparison. It suggests a strategic emphasis on negative campaigning and character assassination over constructive debate and policy discussions. The quote underscores a dark aspect of political competition, where winning becomes the priority, often at the expense of honesty, integrity, and fair play.


We don't plan on winning in August - we plan on winning in November.

- Paul Manafort

Winning, Plan, November, August

Brexit is really a good forerunner of what's going to happen here in November, I think. The same angst that drove that vote is driving the American election.

- Paul Manafort

Here, Happen, November, Angst

I work directly for the boss. I listen to everybody, but I have one man whose voice is louder than everybody else's.

- Paul Manafort

Voice, Everybody, Louder, Directly

The national polls are distorted. To get a national sample, they rely too much on Hispanics from New York and California, which is where large populations are but also where most of the radical Hispanics are.

- Paul Manafort

New, Which, Large, Hispanics

You talk to tax attorneys who are not politically motivated, and they will tell you they would never advise their client to release any tax information in the course of an audit.

- Paul Manafort

Will, Release, Motivated, Advise

Trump was doing very well on a model that made sense, but now, as the campaign has gotten to the end stages, a more traditional campaign has to take place.

- Paul Manafort

Doing, Trump, Very, Stages

The point is - that Donald Trump has been making on the campaign trail is that he's financing his own campaign. That's very important for him to say now in his mind because he wants people to know that he owes nobody anything other than the American people, or the voters who are picking, choosing his candidacy.

- Paul Manafort

Trump, Very, Donald, Financing

Reince Priebus is a strong supporter of Donald Trump and a good friend and supporter of Paul Ryan.

- Paul Manafort

Strong, Ryan, Donald, Good Friend

Where there is terrorist activity - Syria or Iraq - we will temporarily suspend immigration until we can establish a vetting system in which we can identify who people are who are coming in.

- Paul Manafort

Immigration, Suspend, Which, Temporarily

Mr. Trump has said that he wants a vice president who knows Washington, is able to deal with the Congress, and could be viewed as somebody who could be president.

- Paul Manafort

Deal, Trump, Vice, Vice President

Of course he's going to work with Paul Ryan; of course he's tried to bridge the party together with Paul Ryan, but Ryan is also running against somebody who's not going to win but nonetheless is a strong supporter of Mr. Trump's.

- Paul Manafort

Strong, Trump, Ryan, Strong Supporter

Once again, the 'New York Times' has chosen to purposefully ignore facts and professional journalism to fit their political agenda, choosing to attack my character and reputation rather than present an honest report. The suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, silly, and nonsensical.

- Paul Manafort

Political, Rather, Payments, Report

Pence is a fan of fundraising and does enjoy doing it.

- Paul Manafort

Doing, Fan, Does, Fundraising

Trump is not a fan of fundraising, but he's willing to do it.

- Paul Manafort

Fan, Trump, Willing, Fundraising

Donald Trump was not asked by the leadership to change. And there's no reason for him to change. He's just won the primary process with a record number of votes, beating a field of 16 qualified candidates. So, there's no reason for Donald Trump to change.

- Paul Manafort

Reason, Qualified, Donald, Primary

The promises that globalism is the solution, the promise that government's going to make your life better if you just give up your freedoms, the promises that we know better than you on how to make your lives better, have been rejected.

- Paul Manafort

Give, Been, Lives, Promises

They get the faceless bureaucrats in Brussels and Strasbourg who have ruled and told the Brits how to live and making promises for them that their lives would get better and talking about a future based on globalism versus family and individual and local community. That's what Brexit was all about.

- Paul Manafort

Talking, About, Brits, Promises

You don't change Donald Trump. You don't 'manage' him.

- Paul Manafort

Change, Trump, Donald, Manage

Benghazi was a tragedy. Libya is a tragedy.

- Paul Manafort

Tragedy, Benghazi, Libya

By the way, in Mrs. Clinton's returns, you saw a lot of income coming from donors to the Clinton Foundation and people who benefitted from her State Department term as well.

- Paul Manafort

Income, Clinton, Saw, Department

We've noted that the Clinton camp was the first to get it out there, trying to say there was something untoward about the speech Melania Trump gave. It's just another example, as far as we're concerned, that when Hillary Clinton is threatened by a female, the first thing she does is try to destroy the person.

- Paul Manafort

Concerned, Another, Trump, Camp

The point is the country has got serious problems dealing with terrorism both domestic and international.

- Paul Manafort

Country, Dealing, Domestic, International

I was about 15, 16 years old when my father first ran for mayor, and that's where I cut my teeth.

- Paul Manafort

Old, Mayor, Cut, Ran

As far as the Yanukovych administration is concerned, you will see, if you do any fact-checking, that I was the person that negotiated the framework which is based upon which Ukraine is now a part of Europe. That was my role. That's what I did. And when it was completed, I left.

- Paul Manafort

Role, Concerned, Part, Completed

Mr. Trump's position has been clear from the beginning: He's under audit. When the audit is completed, he'll release his returns.

- Paul Manafort

Beginning, Been, Trump, Completed

The reality is, Ted Cruz has seen his best day.

- Paul Manafort

Reality, Ted, His, Cruz

Please, let's talk to American families and sit around the dinner table at night figuring how to pay their bills.

- Paul Manafort

Night, Pay, Please, Table

Those are the two issues: Protecting the homeland and stopping the war and going after ISIS in a way that ends the terrorism.

- Paul Manafort

Going, Homeland, Protecting, Stopping

Leadership is failing. And Donald Trump is going to take a holistic approach to how we focus on these things, and he's not going to allow disparate activities in the communities to define everything.

- Paul Manafort

Trump, Allow, Donald, Communities

Trump is an outsider; maybe you don't know. So he is sitting in a room: he is talking business, he is talking politics - in a private room, it's a different persona. When he's out on the stage, he is talking about the kinds of things he's talking about himself; he's projecting an image that's for that purpose.

- Paul Manafort

Politics, Private, Trump, Sitting

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