Donald Rumsfeld

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.

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

Plan backwards as well as forward. Set objectives and trace back to see how to achieve them. You may find that no path can get you there. Plan forward to see where your steps will take you, which may not be clear or intuitive.

Members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are not there by accident. Each managed to get there for some reason. Learn what it was and you will know something important about them, about our country and about the American people.

If you develop rules, never have more than ten.

If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random.

Television enables you to be entertained in your home by people you wouldn’t have in your home.

The most important service rendered by the press and the magazines is that of educating people to approach printed matter with distrust.

If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you’re mis-informed.

Fake news is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of the incorrect stories???

The media is really, the word, I think one of the greatest of all terms I’ve come up with is fake. I guess other people have used it perhaps over the years, but I’ve never noticed it.

The point is that if you are a little different, or a little outrageous, or if you do things that are bold or controversial, the press is going to write about you.

Television is the first truly democratic culture – the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want.

Arianna Huffington is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision.

I’ve met some great people that deal with me in the press. I’ve also met some people that were very dishonorable, frankly.

Contrary to what a lot of people think, I don’t enjoy doing press. I’ve been asked the same questions a million times now, and I don’t particularly like talking about my personal life.

You can’t interview my brother!… We can call this thing off – right now!

I would rather have been beaten up in the media than live a life that wasn’t happy.

One of the more radical and interesting possible ways to limit the power of unaccountable media barons is to give journalists the power to elect editors and have seats on boards for workers and consumers when a title or programme gets particularly large and influential.

One thing I’ve learned about the press is that they’re always hungry for a good story, and the more sensational the better. It’s in the nature of the job, and I understand that. The point is that if you are a little different, or a little outrageous.

Matt Drudge is a great gentleman, who really – he’s got an ability to capture stories that people want to see