Republican South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem reacted to the death of former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, saying “it’s a sad day for us because he was a leader who led through challenging times.” (Kissinger served as Secretary of State in the Republican administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and remained a looming presence on the international stage during subsequent decades.)
While speaking on Fox News with host Sean Hannity, Gov. Noem suggested that everyone “go learn a little more about [Kissinger] that you didn’t know before.” She added, “Around your dinner table, or when you’re driving in the car with your kids, tell them a few Kissinger quotes that were used in strategic times.”
[NOTE: Describing how he managed strategic conquests in his personal life, Kissinger once said what resulted in perhaps his most famous quote of all: “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.”]
Noem: I hope that everyone's reaction to his passing is to go learn a little bit more about him.. Around your dinner table or when you're driving in the car with your kids, tell them a few Kissinger quotes… pic.twitter.com/xi0J3py5Qy
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 30, 2023
Former U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) had a much different reaction to the news of Kissinger’s death. He shared a story about when he was working on Saturday Night Live, and “Kissinger called SNL once late on a Friday night looking for tix for his son. The Stones were playing that week. I told him that if it hadn’t been for the Xmas bombing, he’d have the tickets.”
Kissinger called SNL once late on a Friday night looking for tix for his son. The Stones were playing that week. I told him that if it hadn’t been for the Xmas bombing, he’d have the tickets.
— Al Franken (@alfranken) November 30, 2023
One of Kissinger’s memorable quotes “used in strategic times” was uttered after that December 18, 1972 bombing of North Vietnam (a.k.a. the Christmas bombing). After a brutal two-week campaign and a reported 1600 civilian deaths, Kissinger — then Nixon’s national security advisor — said in private: “We bombed the North Vietnamese into accepting our concessions.”
Other quotes attributed to Kissinger:
- “I have not endorsed Trump and will not do so.”
- “Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.”
- “The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer.”
