Donald Trump Lies 12 Times Every Day. He’s the Real Fake News.
Donald Trump has lied a staggering 9,014 times since becoming US president. He's the real fake news. | Source: REUTERS / Yuri Gripas
Donald Trump has taken to Twitter again to denounce the “fake news media,” calling it the “enemy of the people.”
In March 4 tweet which quotes Fox News host Tucker Carlson, he lashes out at The Washington Post and The New Yorker.
But the real fake news operation is taking place in the White House itself. Fact checkers now put Donald Trump’s lies and falsehoods at 9,014 since assuming office. That’s an average of almost 12 misleading claims every single day.
In the run-up to the mid-term elections, the frequency of his lies soared. At the worst point, on November 5th, Trump made 139 false claims.
Trump is the Real Source of Fake News
Among the president’s most repeated falsehoods is the imaginary $500 billion deficit with China.
“We’ve lost so much money with China, $500 billion a year.”
Donald Trump has spouted this incorrect figure a staggering 128 times. The real number is $335 billion, and it doesn’t constitute any lost money.
Trump’s claim that he passed the “largest package of tax cuts and reforms in American history” is also false. It’s significantly smaller than Reagan’s 1981 tax cut. Trump has boasted this lie 131 times.
He continues to spread falsehoods about the Mexican border wall, the economy, employment rates, and illegal immigration.
By doubling down on these lies, the president is spreading disinformation faster – and with more impact – than any news outlet. Worse, his loyal base eats up these falsehoods and uses them to form inaccurate beliefs.
The White House-Fox News Propaganda Machine
Trump’s misleading statements are just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps more damaging is his relationship with Fox News.
Fox News has always had a Republican bias, but its connection to the Trump White House amounts to propaganda. An explosive account in The New Yorker this week reveals the unprecedented depths of the “Fox News White House .”
The report’s most devastating allegation is that Fox News buried evidence of Trump’s Stormy Daniels payoff – a claim that was backed up by Michael Cohen’s bombshell testimony last month. At the time, a former executive at Fox News, Ken LaCorte, is reported to have said:
“Rupert [Murdoch] wants Donald Trump to win. So just let it go.”
Trump has also packed his administration with Fox alumni, including his deputy chief of staff and national-security adviser.
Trump regularly retweets Fox News coverage and reportedly calls in to “correct” statements. The feedback loop is unprecedented. The network gives a mouthpiece to the president’s lies and falsehoods.
“It’s the closest we’ve come to having state TV,” said Nicole Hemmer of University of Virginia’s Miller Center.
Who is the Real Enemy of the People?
Rather than slamming journalists for doing their job – holding government to account – Trump should hold himself to a higher standard.
Trump’s lies, deceit, and falsehoods are the real enemy of the people. The president has given birth to a culture of disinformation and formed opinions based on lies.
The country is now more divided than ever, and the “truth” no longer matters. The blame for this lies entirely with Donald Trump.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not represent those of, nor should they be attributed to, CCN.com.
