*Fox News (banned) – Page 33

Donald Trump has uttered more than 3,000 lies since he took the oath of office, according to the Washington Post fact checker. The same source asserts that Donald Trump “makes up to nine false statements a day.”

Most of us like to think that if we were in a relationship with someone who we continually caught in lies, we’d kick them to the curb. And if that person were constantly trying to gaslight us, we might call it an abusive relationship. But Donald Trump, our leader, defies normal, healthy expectations for a relationship with his constituents – and they not only let him get away with it, they make excuses for him.

Here is a sampling of Donald Trump’s more famous lies, according to Politifact:

“We have signed more legislation than anybody. We broke the record of Harry Truman.” (The truth: The Trump administration comes in last, as far as the amount of legislation signed in the first year of office for any president since World War II.)

“We essentially repealed Obamacare because we got rid of the individual mandate … and that was a primary source of funding of Obamacare.” (The truth: the penalties for not enrolling would cover less than 3 percent of the costs of administering Obamacare. The individual mandate was only one part of Obamacare; eliminating it did not eliminate Obamacare.)

“Again, we’re the highest-taxed nation, just about, in the world.” (The truth: we’re not.)

Though a large percentage of Donald Trump’s supporters are evangelical Christians and religious leaders, the fact that so many of Trump’s untruths have been proven to be outright lies and not just misstatements doesn’t appear to trouble them at all. The truth is not their concern – as long as the items on their agenda are passed.

These days, the “family values” people – the people who largely support Trump – are the people who support rolling back the Affordable Care Act, who oppose support for law-abiding DACA recipients, and who oppose abortion while also opposing care and support for children born into poverty. Integrity and accountability are no longer seen as cornerstones for a free nation, and lying is simply a path to “Making America Great Again.”

CNN’s Jake Tapper asked GOP Senator Roy Blunt (Missouri), whether it bothered him when Trump said things that were blatantly not true.

“He communicates differently than I do,”was Blunt’s response. “I think people are much more concerned about the economy and job preparation.”

But what’s a lie (or 3,000) when things are “getting done”? In the long term, a lie, when it’s part of a series of many lies told by the leader of a country, has the potential to cause damage for not just the United States and its people, but for our allies. With all of Trump’s convolutions of the truth, how long until mistrust from the rest of the world fosters enmity, or worse? How long will it be until our allies view Donald Trump, and all of us, by association, as the collective Boy Who Cried Wolf?

Tapper to GOP senator: Do Trump’s lies bother you? | CNN [2018-05-06]

‘That’s your stink, Mr. President’: Fox News’s Neil Cavuto lets loose | Washington Post [2018-05-04]

It’s hard to know for sure whether Comedian Michelle Wolf, whose performance at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner last Saturday is by now widely known, actually got the result she had intended. She did draw some laughter, although much of it was uncomfortable. People from both parties have expressed shock and distaste, but if that is what Michelle Wolf was going for, after all, then her performance was a success.

On the other hand, instead of taking offense, many are praising Michelle Wolf for her equivalent of “telling it like it is” (Let’s remember who this characteristic has most often been attributed to in recent times). Others say that in light of the tasteless comments, insensitive remarks, and cruel opining that Trump and his administration are now known for, Michelle Wolf was just responding in kind. Again, despite the lack of laughs in the room, this indicates that Wolf succeeded, really, at what she set out to do.

If one is trying to make a point to a group one strongly opposes, however, is insulting, rant-heavy monologue the best tack to take? Does stooping to the same level of vindictive, vulgar, offensive commentary really make the intended point?

“We’ve had awkward dinners before, no question. But this is a different time,” says USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page. “…This week, a poll came out by Quinnipiac that showed that the majority of Republicans believe the press is the enemy of the American people, not a defender of democracy. That is an impression that we need to do everything we can to show that that is not true, that that is not the case, and that we’re motivated not by partisanship, but by a search for the truth.”

Perhaps, as some have remarked, the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has begun to take itself too seriously. Michelle Wolf, says Masha Gessen of The New Yorker, “blasted open the fictions of journalism” with Saturday’s performance. Nevertheless, the White House Correspondents’ Association has supported the work of journalism in several ways, providing, among other things, scholarships for journalism students.

Donald Trump and his ilk have made every effort to discredit and belittle American journalists and the press, in general. Michelle Wolf’s set on Saturday did nothing to elevate the press in the eyes of the GOP.

“I’m someone who has dinged President Trump often for his narcissism,” said Los Angeles Times Columnist Jonah Goldberg. “The institutional narcissism that was on display (last night) at the correspondents’ dinner I think was a gift to Donald Trump. The crudeness toward Sarah Huckabee Sanders was a gift to the White House. It lets them double down on their ‘These elites are persecuting us’ storyline.”

No matter what Michelle Wolf’s intent was with her comedy set on Saturday, and no matter whether she succeeded or failed that night, we can be almost certain of her success as a self-promoter. No publicity is bad publicity. She may not have been well-known this time last week, and she may not be very funny, but the name Michelle Wolf is now trending globally.

Did Michelle Wolf go too far at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner? | Face the Nation [2018-04-29]

Comedy writer: WHCD was vicious, not funny | Fox News [04-29-2018]

Category: *Fox News (banned)

Donald Trump: ‘More Lies than Anybody’?

Michelle Wolf Was Successful Despite Saturday’s Dearth of Laughter