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Did Trump say “If you repeat a lie long enough people will believe you”
Executive summary
There is no clean, attributable quote in the provided sources that shows Donald Trump saying exactly “If you repeat a lie long enough people will believe you.” Fact‑checking and reporting instead note Trump’s use of repetition as a tactic—Wikipedia cites him instructing Stephanie Grisham: “As long as you keep repeating something, it doesn't matter what you say” [1], and Snopes says Trump did not write the oft‑circulated “tell people a lie three times” line [2].
1. What the reporting actually shows about the phrase
Contemporary reporting and reference material in the search set do not contain a verbatim quote from Trump that matches the exact wording you asked about; instead they document similar language and widely circulated misattributions. Wikipedia’s long entry on Trump’s false or misleading statements quotes an instruction attributed to him to White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham: “As long as you keep repeating something, it doesn't matter what you say” [1]. Snopes investigated the related claim that Trump wrote “if you tell people a lie three times, they will believe anything” and concluded that assertion is false — Trump did not write that line [2].
2. Where the “repeat a lie” idea comes from and how it’s been framed
The aphorism about repeating falsehoods has a long provenance in propaganda studies and is often linked — sometimes inaccurately — to figures like Joseph Goebbels; that context appears in the Snopes write‑up, which traces the misattributed wording and connects it to the general propaganda technique known as the “big lie” [2]. Journalistic coverage and fact‑checkers in the provided results describe how repetition is a tactic Trump employs to reinforce claims, rather than providing a clean, attributable single maxim from him [1] [3].
3. Reporting that documents repetition as a tactic, not a neat quote
Multiple outlets in the results describe Trump’s pattern of repeating claims and falsehoods — both to persuade supporters and saturate the information environment. Wikipedia summarizes this pattern, noting his conscious use of repetition and that he demonstrated the approach when instructing his press secretary [1]. CNN’s analysis likewise frames repetition as part of how Trump continues to make false claims, for example about inflation and grocery prices, pointing to repeated assertions that run counter to data [4]. FactCheck.org’s archive documents recurring false or misleading claims across topics, underscoring pattern over a single aphorism [3].
4. Misattribution and social media circulation — what Snopes found
Snopes specifically debunked the claim that Trump authored the “three times” formulation often circulated on social media; their investigation shows the phrase has been misattributed to Trump and echoes older propaganda concepts [2]. That highlights a common error: a memorable line about repetition gets attached to a public figure even when primary sources don’t support the attribution [2].
5. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas in the sources
The sources present two complementary but distinct narratives: reference and fact‑check pieces (Wikipedia, Snopes, FactCheck.org) emphasize that the exact lines are misattributed or unproven [1] [2] [3]. News outlets such as CNN and The Independent focus on the practical effect — that Trump repeatedly makes false claims and uses repetition as a strategy to blunt fact‑checking and cement narratives [4] [5]. The White House communications example in the search results shows the opposing agenda: administration messaging materials aim to present policy wins repeatedly to shape perceptions [6]. Each source thus reflects its role — verification, analysis, or advocacy — and readers should factor institutional aims into how the repetition claim is portrayed [1] [4] [6].
6. Bottom line and how to use this responsibly
Available sources do not show Trump saying the precise sentence you quoted, but they do document him endorsing and using repetition as a rhetorical and communications tactic — notably the line attributed to his press secretary interaction: “As long as you keep repeating something, it doesn't matter what you say” [1]. Snopes explicitly warns that specific phrasings like “tell people a lie three times” are misattributed [2]. If you plan to cite this idea, use the documented Grisham instruction or describe the broader pattern rather than assigning a neat, unauthenticated one‑liner to Trump [1] [2] [3].