This weekend, The New York Times performed a noble public service by publishing nearly every lie Donald Trump has told since taking the oath of office (just four months and a few days ago, but it seems like an eternity, no?). The op-ed chart of tiny but readable font fills the entire page, until at one point, in the mind’s eye, they appear to morph into termites burrowing deep into the foundation of democracy, leaving sawdust in their wake.
One subtitle reads: “Trump Told Public Lies or Falsehoods Every Day for His First 40 Days.” Another reminds us: “Trump’s Lies Repeat—and Shift With Repetition.” David Leonhardt and Stuart A. Thompson, the journalists in charge of the project, wrote:
“We are using the word ‘lie’ deliberately. Not every falsehood is deliberate on Trump’s part. But it would be the height of naivete to imagine he is merely making honest mistakes. He is lying.”
Their effort deserves the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. We also hope that once they finished the task, they rushed right home to a long and cleansing shower.
Meanwhile, you may want to remind yourselves of the Big Lie that Donald Trump rode to power—the Birther Lie. It was never true when the right-wing media—talk radio, Internet trolls and Fox News—began to spread the story that Barack Obama was not born in the United States and was therefore an illegitimate president.
Yet Trump shamelessly championed the lie and made it central to his campaign. “I’m starting to think that he was not born here,” he told gullible television hosts as early as 2011. A year later he tweeted that “an extremely credible source” had called his office to inform him that Obama’s birth certificate was “a fraud.” Then he urged hackers to “please hack Obama’s college records (destroyed?) and check ‘place of birth.’”
The Big Lie worked for Trump because it had been sown in the fertile soil of slavery and segregation, and he knew that after eight years of a black president, white supremacy was ripe for harvesting. I talked about the Birther Lie with four noted historians in this video, which we posted on Jan. 20—the day Trump was inaugurated as Barack Obama’s successor.
This post was first published on BillMoyers.com.
Bill Moyers is the managing editor of Moyers & Company and BillMoyers.com.
It would be easier to back the extraordinary aggression against the shambolic Trump administration if it weren’t being primarily generated by the warmongering and terminally corrupt DNC/Clinton mob. I propose that they also should be the subject of a list of their lies, starting with the infantile nonsense of Russian meddling in our elections and the vile suppression of the Sanders candidacy. How does one choose sides in a fight between hyenas and jackals? Let’s not waste energy on this preposterous Punch and Judy show; we need to organize a genuine labor party.
Julian Assange perfectly explains how the fake democrats have doomed the party.
The democratic focus on Russia makes no sense , politically or factually. Why would they have such a craven focus on Russia? Because these guys are controlled opposition.
Barack Obama is a fake democrat. He’s now worth about 100 mil dollars…. Yea, real Harry Truman man of the people?! People whom believe he is a good guy are gullible.
You know who wasn’t A fake democrat. Dennis krucinich – that’s why his state was redistricted and his seat was eliminated.
For those that question the math: Barack net worth leaving office… 20 mil, His wife… 11.8 mil, penguin book deal – 65 million ….
Numerous half million dollar speeches and interviews …. Another few mil….. That sums right at about 100 million.
http://www.newsweek.com/how-much-money-barack-michelle-obama-networth-trump-capitalism-pay-wall-street-591762
http://www.ibtimes.com/obamas-net-worth-2017-barack-michelle-sign-deal-worth-more-65-million-penguin-random-2500748
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/01/17/obama-could-make-up-to-242-million-after-leaving-washington-d/21657023/