KAKISTOCRACY (noun) — Government by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous people.
In Their Own Words

Quotes

A searchable collection of documented public statements from people covered by the Kakistocracy Files.

5,728Total Quotes in the Archive
AllAlex JonesAlina HabbaAndrew ClydeAnn CoulterAnthony ScaramucciBill BarrBrendan CarrByron DonaldsCharlie KirkChristine O’DonnellChuck GrassleyCorey LewandowskiDan BonginoDonald TrumpDonald Trump Jr.Doug BurgumElise StefanikElon MuskEnrique TarrioEric TrumpGeorge SantosGreg GutfeldHerschel WalkerHillary ClintonHope HicksHoward LutnickIvanka TrumpJack PosobiecJacob ChansleyJames ComerJames ComeyJD VanceJeanine PirroJenna EllisJesse WattersJim JordanJohn EastmanJosh HawleyKari LakeKaroline LeavittKash PatelKayleigh McEnanyKellyanne ConwayKimberly GuilfoyleKristi NoemLaura LoomerLauren BoebertLindsey GrahamLouie GohmertMadison CawthornMarco RubioMarjorie Taylor GreeneMark RobinsonMatt GaetzMehmet OzMichael CohenMichael FlynnMike JohnsonMike LindellMike PenceMo BrooksNancy MaceNewt GingrichPam BondiPaul GosarPete HegsethPeter NavarroRick ScottRobert F. Kennedy Jr.Roger StoneRon DeSantisRon JohnsonRonna McDanielRoy MooreRudy GiulianiRussell VoughtSarah Huckabee SandersSean HannitySean SpicerSebastian GorkaSharron AngleSidney PowellStephanie GrishamStephen MillerSteve BannonSteve KingSteve ScaliseTed NugentTim ScottTom HomanTommy TubervilleTucker CarlsonTulsi GabbardVivek Ramaswamy
112 quotes from Howard Lutnick
“Of course, it's going to be a big change.”
— Howard Lutnick
April 6, 2025   •   Lutnick discussing the administration's attempt to restructure U.S. trade relationships.
CBS — Face the Nation
“Tariffs are a way to create reciprocity.”
— Howard Lutnick
January 29, 2025   •   Lutnick explaining his support for Trump's tariff strategy.
Senate Commerce Committee Confirmation Hearing
“Which is just not going to happen.”
— Howard Lutnick
January 29, 2025   •   Lutnick rejecting a tariff strategy he believed would expose farmers to targeted retaliation.
Senate Commerce Committee Confirmation Hearing
“They want to avoid the tariffs.”
— Howard Lutnick
March 3, 2025   •   Lutnick arguing that Trump's threatened tariffs were encouraging companies to move production to the United States.
U.S. Department of Commerce
“This is a separate tariff to create action from Mexico and action from Canada.”
— Howard Lutnick
January 29, 2025   •   Lutnick explaining Trump's threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico over border security and fentanyl.
Senate Commerce Committee Confirmation Hearing
“That kind of thing is going to come to America.”
— Howard Lutnick
April 6, 2025   •   Lutnick predicting electronics manufacturing would return to the United States.
CBS — Face the Nation
“No chance.”
— Howard Lutnick
March 9, 2025   •   Lutnick's emphatic response regarding the possibility of a U.S. recession.
NBC — Meet the Press
“What do we want to make in America?”
— Howard Lutnick
February 10, 2026   •   Lutnick discussing tariff policy and construction materials during congressional testimony.
Senate Appropriations Committee
“Imagine if we had a war and we can't build a ship.”
— Howard Lutnick
April 6, 2025   •   Lutnick arguing that domestic manufacturing capacity is a national-security issue.
CBS — Face the Nation
“President Trump is going to deliver for the American people.”
— Howard Lutnick
July 20, 2025   •   Lutnick expressing confidence in the administration's trade negotiations.
CBS — Face the Nation
“If they execute it, there will be no tariff.”
— Howard Lutnick
January 29, 2025   •   Lutnick saying Canada and Mexico could avoid threatened tariffs by satisfying administration demands concerning fentanyl and border enforcement.
Senate Commerce Committee Confirmation Hearing
“We're aggressively rebuilding domestic manufacturing.”
— Howard Lutnick
January 1, 2026   •   Lutnick describing the administration's industrial policy.
U.S. Department of Commerce
“The army of millions and millions of human beings screwing in little, little screws to make iPhones.”
— Howard Lutnick
April 6, 2025   •   Lutnick describing labor-intensive electronics manufacturing in Asia while arguing that production could return to the United States through automation.
CBS — Face the Nation
“We are going to be owned by the rest of the world.”
— Howard Lutnick
April 6, 2025   •   Lutnick warning about the long-term effects he associated with U.S. trade deficits and foreign investment.
CBS — Face the Nation
“I am confident we'll get a deal done.”
— Howard Lutnick
July 20, 2025   •   Lutnick predicting a U.S.-European Union trade agreement.
CBS — Face the Nation
“We pick avocados, they pick white corn.”
— Howard Lutnick
January 29, 2025   •   Lutnick arguing against narrowly targeted product-by-product tariffs.
Senate Commerce Committee Confirmation Hearing
“Worth it.”
— Howard Lutnick
March 11, 2025   •   Lutnick's response when asked whether Trump's economic policies would be worth pursuing even if they resulted in a short-term recession.
CBS News
“Unless they're willing to open their market, they're going to pay a tariff.”
— Howard Lutnick
July 20, 2025   •   Lutnick describing the administration's negotiating position toward Canada.
CBS — Face the Nation
“This is the economy of the world.”
— Howard Lutnick
April 6, 2025   •   Lutnick describing the importance of the U.S. consumer market.
CBS — Face the Nation
“They're going to open their markets or they're going to pay the tariff.”
— Howard Lutnick
July 20, 2025   •   Lutnick describing Trump's negotiating strategy toward U.S. trading partners.
CBS — Face the Nation