FACT CHECK: Does Chapter 45 Of Donald Trump’s ‘The Art Of The Deal’ Tell Readers To ‘Never Admit Defeat’?
An image shared on Facebook claims chapter 45 of President Donald Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal” tells readers to “never admit defeat.”
Verdict: False
There is no record of the passage in the 14-chapter book. The quote appears to be fabricated.
Fact Check:
The alleged excerpt from chapter 45 of Trump’s 1987 book “The Art of the Deal” has circulated widely amid the Trump campaign’s efforts to fight the results of the 2020 presidential election. The Associated Press and other national media outlets called the election for former Vice President Joe Biden on Nov. 7.
The full quote, purportedly appearing in “The Art of the Deal,” reads:
Never admit defeat. You win. If you don’t win, claim they cheated. They rigged it. They stole it. You are the aggrieved but you are the true winner always. Threaten to sue and/or die. No one will remember the outcome. Just that you fought to defend your honor. This is essential to keep your brand healthy and keep the millions of chumps and losers, your base.
There is, however, no record of the excerpt in “The Art of the Deal.” A search for phrases such as “never admit defeat” and “true winner always” turned up no matches for the alleged passage. The book’s table of contents shows that it only has 14 chapters, further adding to the post’s dubiousness.
The “millions of chumps and losers” line suggests that the passage may have been fabricated to poke fun at Trump and his supporters. (RELATED: Did Trump Say, ‘Being An Atheist Gives Me An Edge In Every Deal’?)
While there is no evidence Trump wrote the passage in the Facebook post, he did state in “The Art of the Deal” that he would “do nearly anything within legal bounds to win.” He also discussed defeat in his 2007 book “Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life.”
“I had friends who chose to give up on themselves and declare their own defeat,” he wrote. “What a stupid thing to do! Of course, they never made it through. Never declare yourself beaten. If you fail at something, it is okay. That may be out of your control, but never voluntarily throw in the towel. Always keep fighting!”
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