President Truman Quotes

• [President Truman] was free of the greatest vice in a leader, his ego never came between him and his job.

  Dean Acheson

  Jobs, Leader, Ego

  4 Copy quote

• I am going to build the kind of nation that President Roosevelt hoped for, President Truman worked for, and President Kennedy died for.

  Lyndon B. Johnson

  Vision, President, Kind

  18 Copy quote

• President Roosevelt and President Truman and President Eisenhower had the same experience, they all made the effort to get along with the Russians. But every time, finally it failed. And the reason it failed was because the Communists are determined to destroy us, and regardless of what hand of friendship we may hold out or what arguments we may put up, the only thing that will make that decisive difference is the strength of the United States.

  John F. Kennedy

  Hands, Differences, Effort

  Speech by Senator John F. Kennedy, Democratic Rally, George Washington High School Stadium, Alexandria, VA, www.presidency.ucsb.edu. August 24, 1960.

  6 Copy quote

  Show source

• The very first thing the President [Truman] did was to show me the new Presidential Seal, which he had just redesigned. He explained, 'The seal has to go everywhere the President goes. It must be displayed upon the lectern when he speaks. The eagle used to face the arrows but I have re-designed it so that it now faces the olive branches ... what do you think?' I said, 'Mr. President, with the greatest respect, I would prefer the American eagle's neck to be on a swivel so that it could face the olive branches or the arrows, as the occasion might demand.'

  Winston Churchill

  Thinking, Eagles, Arrows

  6 Copy quote

• Eisenhower was a pretty peace-oriented president. Truman was a pretty hawkish. I would argue, if we had more time, I would argue Truman had a lot to do with getting the Cold War going.

  Robert Scheer

  War, President, Arguing

  Source: www.truth-out.org

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• That was the principle of reparations to which President Truman agreed at Potsdam. And the United States will not agree to the taking from Germany of greater reparations than was provided by the Potsdam Agreement.

  James F. Byrnes

  Agreement, President, Principles

  66 Copy quote