(Warner Bros./Getty Images)
Ivanka Trump quoted Jack Nicholson’s mob boss character from The Departed on Friday, but wrongly attributed the line as “wise words” coming from the actor himself. See the full quote from the movie below, but be forewarned, the language is offensive.
“I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me – Jack Nicholson,” reads a quote posted on Trump’s Twitter account and official website, along with the hashtags “#WiseWords from Jack Nicholson” and “#inspiration.” This line, however is actually the start of a monologue spoken by Nicholson’s character Frank Costello at the beginning of the 2006 Martin Scorsese crime drama, The Departed. Costello, the ruthless and murderous leader of an Irish crime organization, is a character based on real-life Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger, who’s currently serving two consecutive life terms for murder, racketeering and a variety of other charges.
In Nicholson’s Departed monologue, his character goes on to use racial slurs, including the N-word, and advocates for the use of any means necessary to “take” power. Trump was presumably unaware of the remainder of the speech as she apparently didn’t even know the quote came directly from the gangster film, and not from the legendary actor himself. See below a screenshot of Trump’s tweet, as well as the full quote from the film. Again, be forewarned of the offensive language.
(Twitter/Ivanka Trump)
“I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me. Years ago we had the church. That was only a way of saying – we had each other. The Knights of Columbus were real head-breakers; true guineas. They took over their piece of the city. Twenty years after an Irishman couldn’t get a f***ing job, we had the presidency. May he rest in peace. That’s what the n***ers don’t realize. If I got one thing against the black chappies, it’s this – no one gives it to you. You have to take it.” – Frank Costello from The Departed
