Political Quotes

Barack Obama: In my inauguration speech, I spoke about, you will be judged on what you build, not what you destroy.

On the recordJanuary 25, 2009
In my inauguration speech, I spoke about, you will be judged on what you build, not what you destroy.
Said by
Barack Obama
Democratic · Illinois

Editor's note · Context

Obama emphasizes the importance of constructive actions over destructive ones in the context of his leadership.

Share

More from Barack Obama

Jun 20, 2026

People aren't looking for perpetual anger and division. They are looking for fairness and common sense and mutual respect, that deep in our gut, we want to find a way to turn towards each other again, not further away.

npr.org
Jul 19, 2026

At least one of our major parties has been captured by politics that is not that subtle about suggesting that ‘We the people’ means a certain kind of people.

huffpost.com
Jun 19, 2026

Every president here today, as different as we are, has tried our best to uphold the values that John McCain and Mitt Romney believed in no less than I did.

foxnews.com

Other voices in this conversation