Donald Trump lies. He makes up information. He changes information to fit the story he wants to tell. He feeds conspiracy theories. And, he does all of this over and over until the lies become the truth for his followers. One might think that while this is not good for our system of governing, it will all go away at some point when he goes away. … Read the rest
Tag: Attacks on the truth
The success of the “they are out to get me defense”
Can do no Wrong
In 2016, Trump summed up his relationship with his supporters, saying
… Read the rest“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters”
-said by Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign cnn.com
Disagreeing over reality
The storming of the Capitol on January 6th was not motivated by differences in political views but rather a belief in a fabricated reality. Over our history we have experienced significant and profound political disagreements—some of which have led to bloodshed. … Read the rest
A Dangerous Man: Donald Trump’s Attempt to Overturn the Election
The Assault on our Democracy
Since his election four years ago, Donald Trump has taken repeated actions that undermine our democracy. When Congress has not supported his policies, he has turned to using executive orders to get around this intended check on presidential power.… Read the rest
Trump Couldn’t Just Go Quietly
Trump Lost
Donald Trump lost the election. The final Electoral College vote will likely be 306 for Biden and 232 for Trump. That is the same number of electoral votes Trump beat Clinton by in 2016 (270towin). In contrast Biden leads Trump by 2.9 percent in the popular vote. … Read the rest
Trump’s Strategy: The End Justifies the Means
I doubt the President has ever read Machiavelli’s The Prince but he appears to be following its playbook. Machiavelli wrote the The Prince in the 16th century as a defense of the monarchy. In The Prince, Machiavelli argues that deceit, fraud, and sometimes even murder may be necessary to maintain safety and security and retain power. … Read the rest
KING OF THE SWAMP III
Self-appointed King
Donald Trump has not drained the so-called “swamp” but rather he has cultivated it and made himself king. Trump has surrounded himself with shady characters in his cabinet (e.g. Scott Pruit who headed the EPA and is being investigated for the misuse of taxpayer funds) as well as outright crooks (e.g.… Read the rest
Trump’s Abuse of Power: the Banality of Evil Revisited
Clarity or Fog
I have wondered over the past two years if the typical German citizen in the 1930s recognized what was happening to their country. That is, when you are in the middle of radical and threatening change, do you realize it is happening?… Read the rest
Top 3 Trumps Lies of the Week
Donald Trump systematic shreds the facts. He lies repeatedly, sometime contradicting himself in the same interview. This week has been a doozy for lies. My picks for the top three Trump lies from the past week are:
1.Saying he did not know Whitaker’s views on Mueller
In an interview with Fox News Sunday Trump claimed “I did not know he took views on the Mueller investigation as such,” He added that he doesn’t believe Whitaker’s past statements had any effect on his choice once he learned of the comments. … Read the rest
Why lying works for Trump
Donald Trump repeatedly lies. However, negative press regarding his lying has had little impact on his support. Vox has put together a very interesting assessment of why Trump lies and its impact. The Vox piece can be viewed at the following:
The Vox piece is heavily based on a RAND Corporation article by Christopher Paul and Miriam Matthews entitled “The Russian “Firehose of Falsehood” Propaganda Model, Why It Might Work and Options to Counter It” RAND.… Read the rest