Show me a man that gets rich by being a politician, and I'll show you a crook.

— Harry Truman

Since childhood at my mother's knee, I have believed in honor, ethics and right living as its own reward. I find a very small minority who agree with me on that premise.

— Harry Truman

Some smart Alec of those days after World War I used to say: "The French fought for liberty, the British fought to control the seas, but the Americans fought for souvenirs.

— Harry Truman

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a Republican. But I repeat myself.

— Harry Truman

[The American President] has to take all sorts of abuse from liars and demagogues.… The people can never understand why the President does not use his supposedly great power to make ’em behave. Well, all the President is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.

— Harry Truman

The fundamental basis of this nation’s laws was given to Moses on the Mount… If we don’t have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State.

— Harry Truman

The only thing new in the world is the history you do not know.

— Harry Truman

There is a lure in power. It can get into a man's blood just as gambling and lust for money have been known to do.

— Harry Truman

The Republicans believe in the minimum wage -- the more the minimum, the better.

— Harry Truman

We must remember that the test of our religious principles lies not just in what we say, not only in our prayers, not even in living blameless lives - but in what we do for others

— Harry Truman