Despite Trump - The Truth Matters
by Bill Gouveia
Donald Trump has manipulated the media into a position where no matter what they do — he wins. It’s a politically brilliant and morally bankrupt philosophy that just might propel him to second term in the White House.
He has officially abandoned any pretense of valuing the truth. In the Trump White House, truth is irrelevant. It is meaningless. It is a distraction, an obstacle to be overcome in order to achieve what Trump values above all else — political victory and personal credit.
This president is a pathological liar, virtually without values or conscience. He lies so much and so blatantly that covering and documenting every single lie would be a full-time job. He knows that, and benefits from it.
Trump has skillfully managed to make a large segment of the voting population care more about the media calling the President a liar than the fact the President actually is usually lying. Quite frankly, it is impossible to cover him with any accuracy without pointing out how often and boldly he lies.
But when networks and news organizations report this — he calls them out for being unfair. To his supporters and many in the middle, this immediately negates that reporting. It is presumed the President is being attacked, and if he perhaps stretched the truth a bit — well, that’s the media’s fault for picking on him.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Trump doesn’t deal in truth, he only deals in blame. And he’s winning the blame game — huge.
But let’s be clear about a few indisputable and undeniable facts.
This president lies purposely for political advantage, blatantly and unapologetically. He doesn’t even try and hide it anymore. He doesn’t have to, because no one other than some in the media even bother to call him on it.
Few Republicans in the House and Senate who are not retiring have the courage to point out Trump’s lies. They know he’s lying, but they are afraid to confront him. They are gutless cowards, more worried about their own political futures than the government or the country.
This President has recently lied about the record of Retired Admiral William McRaven, the decorated Navy Seal commander who led the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden. He just lied about the California wildfires, disrespecting first responders and people who lost everything. Yet, from the Republicans — crickets.
But I’ll stop there, because frankly this is how Trump wins. We point out the details of his lies, and then that becomes the focus rather than the real issue. His supporters don’t care if he lies, as long as their political goals are advanced. He’s a liar — but he’s their liar.
The President of the United States is a proven pathological liar. That’s a fact we can’t change and must live with for at least the next two years.
But don’t pretend this is business as usual. Don’t claim other presidents have done this. No one has ever disrespected the truth like Donald Trump. This is not comparable to any other administration. This is a purposeful destruction of democracy.
Truth matters. And when it doesn’t — neither do we.
Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and longtime local official. He can be emailed at billsinsidelook@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.
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