Fox News FINALLY Apologizes For Lying About A Man And His 90 Year Old Grandmother

Posted by on December 24, 2016 at 4:49 pm. 2 Comments :

A month ago Fox News did a story about a protester at a Trump rally. Austyn Crites approached the stage with a sign saying “Republicans Against Trump.” A commotion in the crowd caused the Secret Service to hustle a cowering Trump off stage. There were varying accounts of what transpired, and some reports said that a Trump supporter yelled “Gun!” Crites was quickly taken into custody and escorted out of the rally.

Fox News Steve Doocy

As it turns out, there was no gun. Crites was not in any way threatening and was not arrested. The incident was an epic over-reaction that evolved into a mythical fable of the fake danger bedeviling The Donald. So naturally Fox News fabricated a fictional account of the event that featured Kellyanne Conway, who labeled Crites a Democratic plant. She also laughably implied on CNN that this innocent, lawful protest was an assassination attempt. Meanwhile, back at Fox & Friends, Brian Kilmeade falsely accused Crites of having committed voter fraud by casting a ballot for Clinton in the name of his grandmother, who Kilmeade said had died in 2002.

Kilmeade: “Democrats would like for you to believe that voter fraud does not exist. Better chance of getting hit by lightening, they always say. But this morning yet another reminder from the guy who interrupted Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday who many thought had a gun. […] He claims he was a Republican, but it turns out he’s a huge Hillary supporter. And his grandmother has been using this address to vote absentee for years. But she’s been dead since 2002. Although I miss her, I don’t think she should be voting.”

You’ll never guess what happened next. An actual journalist from the Guardian contacted Crites’ grandmother who stubbornly insisted that she was alive and well. She’s probably a Democrat who’s lying about being alive to smear Trump. Now virtually everything Fox News reported has been proven to be blatantly false. And what does Fox do about it? They wait for month after the truth was well known and then have Steve Doocy issue a correction. By this time, of course, no one remembers what he’s talking about. So he gets away with dismissing the lies as “exagerrated.”

That’s the Fox News brand of “journalism.” Notoriously unprofessional and entirely devoid of ethics. They still haven’t bothered to interview Crites or provide him him with an opportunity clear his name. The never reached out to his grandmother whose friends and family might have been distressed to hear of her death. However, just airing an apology is a big step for Fox News, so we probably should be grateful.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

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So Now Trump Is Applauding The Dictator Putin’s Observations On Democracy?

Posted by on December 24, 2016 at 11:21 am. 3 Comments :

Donald Trump’s Twitter feed has been a cornucopia of comedy, curiosity, and horror. He uses it to brag about himself, insult his foes, and spread disinformation. He has even suggested altering the U.S. government’s policies on international relations in ways that make experts tremble.

Putin Trump Tweet

The latest tweet from the President-Elect takes a disturbing stand alongside Vladimir Putin (again):

This deceptively simple comment raises a couple of red flags (pun intended). First of all, why is Trump taking advice on democracy from a murderous dictator? Putin is widely known for assassinating his political rivals. What’s more, Russia is not exactly a model of free and fair elections. Putin doesn’t have to worry about losing with dignity because he doesn’t have to worry about losing at all. By complimenting Putin’s remarks, Trump is validating his undemocratic dictatorship.

Secondly, since when has Trump ever lost with dignity. Or won with dignity, for that matter. In 2012, Trump went on an unhinged Twitter tirade following Mitt Romney’s loss to President Obama. He said it was a “disgusting injustice.” a “travesty,” and called for a revolution. And in a complete reversal of his current position, he said the Electoral College was “a disaster for a democracy.”

Just a couple of months ago, Trump demonstrated his dignified approach to democratic participation. He said “if I don’t win, this will be the greatest waste of time, money and energy in my lifetime.” And after winning the Electoral College he’s done nothing but whine about losing the popular vote by a historic margin.

Trump’s tweet did not go unnoticed by the Twitterverse. Here are few select examples of the barrage against his foolish and unpatriotic embrace of Russia’s tyrant:


https://twitter.com/jordanzakarin/status/812452181429325824


https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/812455448557289472


https://twitter.com/jchaltiwanger/status/812462453657366528

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Before Trump lectures Americans on democracy, he might want to find a better source of democratic wisdom. Somehow, a totalitarian who oppresses his people and kills unfriendly politicians and journalists doesn’t make the grade. And his observations on dignity only make him look more callous, ignorant, undignified.


Trump Campaign Co-Chair’s New Year’s Wish Is For President Obama To Die

Posted by on December 23, 2016 at 6:00 pm. 7 Comments :

Tis the season for peace on Earth and goodwill towards men. Unless you’re a close associate of our President-Elect, Donald Trump. Having spent the last eighteen months viciously maligning most of the nation, it isn’t surprising to find the same repugnant behavior bleeding into Christmas.

Carl Paladino

Carl Paladino is a millionaire real estate developer and failed Republican candidate for governor of New York. He was also the state co-chairman of Trump’s presidential campaign. Which makes his remarks now especially disturbing. In a survey conducted by Artvoice, he was asked asked what he would most like to happen in 2017. He responded:

“…that he hoped ‘Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations’ with a cow, dies and is buried in a cow pasture.”

And Merry Christmas to you too, sir. This is coming from someone who himself has been associated with bestiality. Paladino was caught emailing pictures of a woman having sex with a horse. So he is very likely projecting his own perversions into this abhorrent desire.

Paladino is no stranger to offensive commentaries. He has previously accused Obama of lying about his Christian faith saying that “there is no doubt he is a Muslim.” He has also sent e-mails portraying Obama as an African tribesman, or a seventies-era pimp with his “prostitute” wife Michelle. And speaking of the First Lady, Paladino also had a New Year’s wish for her:

“I’d like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.”

The Associated Press contacted Paladino and got confirmation that these racist comments were accurately reported. He also said “Merry Christmas and tough luck if you don’t like my answer.” However, a spokesperson for Trump did not provide a response when questioned.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

It’s notable that Trump has time to tweet about Saturday Night Live and every stop on his “victory” tour, but he can’t pound out 140 characters to renounce this nauseating hate speech. It’s typical for someone who has made childish insults a hallmark of his public persona. And, unfortunately, we can expect him to bring more of the same to the White House.


The Fake Fox News ‘War On Christmas’ Just Created Some Very Real Victims

Posted by on December 22, 2016 at 4:17 pm. 3 Comments :

For several years now Fox News has been engaged in a raging “War On Christmas.” For the most part it is a conflict that is wholly the product of their warped imagination. And despite the fact that victory was declared by its general, Bill O’Reilly, several times, peace has still evaded us. And now this phony war is having all too real consequences.

Fox News Todd Starnes

An elementary school in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, made an administrative decision not to put on a Christmas show this year. The principal cited the fact that its production requires 15-20 hours of classroom time that couldn’t be spared. However, the program’s cancellation was all that Fox News needed to bolster their war propaganda. Host Todd Starnes put out another in his series of bogus tirades against imaginary assaults on Xmas. According to LancasterOnline (via Media Matters):

“A Hempfield elementary school is under fire for ending its longstanding production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” and a Jewish family has fled the county in fear because it’s being blamed for the cancellation. The unfolding controversy at Centerville Elementary School played out this week in national conservative media outlets including FOX News and Breitbart News Network, which portray the school’s move as part of a ‘war on Christmas.'”

After the play was canceled, classmates were reported to have harassed the Jewish student whom they blamed for the cancellation. The parents denied that they had complained or asked that the play be canceled. All they did was to request that their child not be required to participate. The principal responded to the rumors about parental objections by posting a notice stating flatly that they weren’t true. But that didn’t stop Fox News, Breitbart, and other right-wing outlets from exploiting the contrived controversy.

As a result, the family was forced to flee their home in order to avoid the hostile reaction from Fox viewers. [See update below] LancasterOnline reported that:

“Since the Fox and Breitbart stories, a spokeswoman for the school district said, the school has received at least 200 emails and phone calls either supporting or objecting to the decision or asking for additional information. The Jewish student’s parents say some of the reactions to the stories frightened them. After seeing reader comments like ‘It would be nice if we had the addresses of those concerned citizens and, I bet, this info is known to people living in the area’ on the Breitbart story, the parents pulled their child out of school and headed out of the area for a bit. ‘There’s no way we’re going to take a chance after the pizza incident,’ they said, referencing the man who fired an assault rifle in a Washington D.C area pizzeria after reading a fake-news story that said Hillary Clinton was running a child sex ring out of there.”

The stories from Fox and Breitbart focused on the false assertion that a Jewish family objected to the play’s Tiny Tim character saying “God bless us, everyone.” That’s absurd on its face because there would be no reason for such an objection. Jews are not averse to blessings from God. However, the attempt to stigmatize a Jewish family reeks of the anti-Semitism that frequently portrays Jews as Christ-killers. Casting Jews as opponents of Christianity and its holidays was a favorite tactic of the Nazis in 1930’s Germany.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Now Fox News is carrying on that loathsome tradition in an effort to advance their Christmas Wars agenda. And they are not the least bit concerned about the harm it is doing to innocent families. They are devoted to their campaign of hate and division without regard for the victims. And it is perfectly aligned with Donald Trump’s divisive agenda. He often fires up his rallies by promising that “If I become president, we’re all going to be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again.” It’s that 1930’s totalitarianism that makes him think he can decide what we are all going to say.

UPDATE: The Anti-Defamation League investigated the claims that the family fled their home due to threats following false stories about the cancellation of a school Christmas play. They found that the family actually left on a planned vacation, but the other facts remain unchanged. There were stories that accused the family of being responsible for the cancellation, and they were harassed.


Republicans In Congress Are TERRIFIED Of Trump And His ‘Horde Of Enforcers’

Posted by on December 21, 2016 at 2:37 pm. 10 Comments :

Donald Trump ran roughshod over his GOP opponents in the 2016 Republican primaries. It was a scorched Earth style campaign that left his foes, not just beaten, but humiliated. He didn’t merely challenge their policy positions or leadership skills, he used language meant to shame them. Fellow Republicans were viciously maligned as “Lyin’ Ted’ and “Little Marco.” Eventually Trump succeeded in capturing the nomination, but not without leaving bodies on the battlefield.

Trump/Bannon

Those same tactics are now being deployed against the Republicans in Congress. Many of them are saying privately that they are fearful of taking positions against Trump. That poses a critical problem because their traditionally conservative views are often at odds with Trump’s twisted brand of populism. Trumpulism favors cordial relations with Russia and its strongman Vladimir Putin. It proposes to spend a trillion dollars on infrastructure improvements, mainly benefiting wealthy contractors. It is critical of the U.S. alliance with NATO. It would impose stiff tariffs on American companies with foreign factories. All of these positions are in direct opposition to decades of Republican doctrine.

The problem now is that Republicans are literally afraid to speak their minds. They have been warned by Trump and his surrogates that any diversion from total obedience to his agenda would be viewed as betrayal. As reported by Politico:

“It’s little wonder that Capitol Hill Republicans have papered over their not-insignificant policy differences with Trump, shying away from any statement about the president-elect that might possibly be construed as critical. They’re terrified of arousing the ire of their tempestuous new leader — or being labeled a turncoat by his army of followers.” […]

“Since the election, numerous congressional Republicans have refused to publicly weigh in on any Trump proposal at odds with Republican orthodoxy, from his border wall to his massive infrastructure package. The most common reason, stated repeatedly but always privately: They’re afraid of being attacked by Breitbart or other big-name Trump supporters.”

The threat from Breitbart is a real concern. Especially since its chairman, Stephen Bannon, is currently on leave to serve as Trump’s strategic advisor in the White House. But it doesn’t stop there. As South Carolina GOP Rep. Mark Sanford said, “People are naturally reticent to be the first out of the block for fear of Sean Hannity, for fear of Breitbart, for fear of local folks.”

Texas Rep. Bill Flores can attest to Sanford’s worries. After he made some rather tame remarks at a conservative conference, the Trump enforcers snapped into action. Breitbart began with an article condemning Flores for plotting to “stifle Trump’s campaign promises.” Sean Hannity of Fox News picked up the story and added his own vitriolic objections. He implied that Flores was using code to tell Trump to “Go to hell.” Subsequently, Flores was showered with complaints that included predictions of the end of his political career and even death threats. Never mind that he is one of the most conservative members of the House and a co-founder of its arch right-wing Freedom Caucus.

The media component of Trump’s Crusaders is a key to their intimidation tactics. They have the power of Fox News as well as dozens of other right-wing media outlets. Strain all of that through Facebook and Twitter and you get a powerful amplification of their defamatory propaganda.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

The rest of the GOP caucus is learning a lesson from this. They are choosing to keep their mouths shut rather than risk offending Trump or his defenders. The StormTrumpers stand at the ready to crucify any Republican they view as disloyal or insufficiently resolute. It’s a chilling state of affairs that impinges on the core principles of democracy. And in that regard, it should not be a surprise coming from the Trump camp. His authoritarian leanings have been apparent from the start of his campaign. And since it’s clear that Republicans can’t be relied upon to defend democracy, Democrats better be prepared to do it.


Top Advisor Proposes Changes In Ethics Laws For Trump’s ‘Billionaire Presidency’

Posted by on December 20, 2016 at 3:27 pm. 3 Comments :

The specter of Donald Trump’s looming presidency has stirred up serious consideration of potentially unlawful conflicts of interest. His expansive business empire makes ethical violations a near certainty. In fact, there have already been incidents where foreign dignitaries made reservations at Trump hotels in order to curry favor with the President-Elect.

Donald Trump

The Emoluments Clause of the Constitution expressly prohibits the president from receiving money, gifts, or anything of value from foreign governments or officials. Thus, any foreign officials staying at a Trump hotel would automatically put him violation of the Constitution. Additionally, there are numerous ethics laws enacted by Congress to prevent bribery or corruption on the part of public officials. Trump’s businesses present a tangled web of pending breaches just waiting to happen.

This is not a partisan observation aimed at hobbling The Donald before he even moves in. Republicans are keenly aware of the legal obstacles in the road. One of Trump’s closest advisors, Newt Gingrich, conceded that it was an issue in a radio interview on Monday. His remarks were a disturbing commentary on the privilege of class in politics. He described Trump’s ascension to power as a “billionaire presidency,” which he meant as a justification for special treatment. As reported by Politico:

“We’ve never seen this kind of wealth in the White House, and so traditional rules don’t work,” Gingrich said Monday during an appearance on NPR’s “The Diane Rehme Show” about the president-elect’s business interests. “We’re going to have to think up a whole new approach.”

In other words, the rules for the rich are different than those for the rest of us. That’s an argument for the kind of aristocracy that the United States fought a revolution to escape. Public servants enriching themselves through their office should be illegal no matter their net worth. That’s why in prior administrations, presidents would place their assets in a blind trust and divest them if necessary. And contrary to Gingrich’s assertion, there has been great wealth in White House. Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy come to mind.

Gingrich doesn’t provide any details of the “whole new approach” he’s proposing. However, he did offer one specific method of by which Trump could avoid accountability:

“In the case of the president, he has a broad ability to organize the White House the way he wants to. He also has, frankly, the power of the pardon,” Gingrich said. “It’s a totally open power. He could simply say, ‘Look, I want them to be my advisers. I pardon them if anyone finds them to have behaved against the rules. Period. Technically, under the Constitution, he has that level of authority.”

Actually, he technically does not. The power of the pardon is not “totally open.” For instance it cannot be used to absolve someone for crimes that have yet to be committed. So for Gingrich’s idea to work, Trump would have to wait for the conflicts to occur, then pardon the offenders. And with his unique business structure, his refusal to let go of any of it, and his family’s involvement, he would have to issue new pardons every day.

Furthermore, while the president can pardon himself for criminal penalties, he cannot stop Congress from impeaching him. So any violation of the Constitution as described above could trigger his ouster from office.

Earlier this month Trump promised to hold a press conference on December 15, to address these matters. That was a week ago and he has still not rescheduled the canceled event, other than to say it could be sometime in January. He may be able to evade questions from the press about his shady financial dealings, but he can’t evade justice for long.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Proposals like the one Gingrich offered only serve to inflame the class division that Trump represents. He is not a king and he is not above the law. But no should be surprised that Gingrich favors leniency for ethical violations by the rich and powerful. He himself was ousted as Speaker of the House for ethical breaches related to his book royalties

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Trump Romances Billionaire Investor In The ‘Failing’ New York Times – Who’s From Mexico!

Posted by on December 20, 2016 at 11:49 am. 1 Comments :

It’s becoming more obvious every day that Donald Trump has no core principles. His moral code is strictly set to advancing whatever is in his best interest at the moment. That explains his frequent flip-flops on issues and fluid allegiances with associates. The velocity with which he can change positions is blinding. Take for example his stance on the Electoral College.

Donald Trump

Now the Washington Post is reporting that Trump dined with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. The news that Trump is hobnobbing with yet another billionaire isn’t exactly groundbreaking. He has already stuffed his cabinet with more of them than any of his predecessors. They seem to be the only people with whom he has any relationship.

What’s notable about this tryst is that Trump hasn’t been particularly fond of Slim, his homeland, or his business portfolio. You have to wonder what Trump’s after in inviting such a bitter foe to his luxury Mar-A-Lago resort. Trump viciously castigated Slim during the campaign, primarily for his investment in the New York Times. He said this at a rally in North Carolina on October 14:

“No paper is more corrupt than the failing ‘New York Times.’ The good news, it is failing, it won’t be around too much longer. But they are really, really bad people. The largest shareholder in the Times is Carlos Slim. Now Carlos Slim as you know comes from Mexico. He’s given many millions of dollars to the Clinton and their initiative. So Carlos Slim, largest donor of the paper, from Mexico. Reporters at the New York Times, they’re not journalists. They’re corporate lobbyists for Carlos Slim and for Hillary Clinton.”

First of all, Slim is indeed a large shareholder in the Times, but Trump is telling only part of the story. Slim’s 17 percent of the publicly traded Class A shares does not give him any clout. The vast majority of the company is owned by the Sulzberger family, including the privately held Class B shares. Additionally, Slim has no representation on the company’s board of directors. So Trump’s inference of influence by Slim is entirely a product of his warped imagination.

Secondly, the fact that Trump had to mention Slim’s Mexican heritage twice reveals the deep roots of his bigotry. He doesn’t say why it’s important, he just makes sure his audience is well aware of it.

Thirdly, Trump points out that Slim has donated to the Clinton Foundation. However, he doesn’t bother to mention that he gave $100,000 to the Foundation himself. If he’s implying that Slim was seeking some sort of benefit for his donation, then what was Trump seeking?

Finally, Trump makes a leap of illogic to assert that the reporters for the Times are somehow beholden to the Clintons. There is nothing to indicate that the Times’ reporters are in any way influenced by Slim or donations to the Clinton Foundation. This is the sort of dishonest innuendo that Trump has disgorged throughout his campaign.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

So now Trump is dining with Slim and praising him as “a wonderful man” Never mind that his website still says this about him:

“The New York Times strings are being pulled by Mexico’s Carlos Slim, a billionaire who benefits from NAFTA and supports Hillary Clinton’s open border policies.”

If any of Trump’s speculative accusations were to be taken seriously, then you would also have to apply them to his reasons for meeting with Slim now. Is Trump a shill for Slim and the Clinton Foundation? Or is he just an opportunistic con man who is out for anything he can get for himself? You don’t have to answer that.


Donald Trump’s Grossly Contradictory Positions On The Electoral College

Posted by on December 20, 2016 at 9:37 am. 4 Comments :

Like many things with Donald Trump, it doesn’t take much effort to find him contradicting himself. Either that or reversing his stance. Or downright lying. Here is a Twitter Moment that perfectly illustrates this with regard to his opinions on the Electoral College.

Sadly, his followers will forgive him any lie, misstatement, disinformation, insult, or contradiction. So be prepared for four years of this, barring some stroke of good fortune like his resignation or impeachment.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.


TRUMP: Russia’s Hacking Was ‘A BIG PROBLEM’ – Before They Were Helping His Campaign

Posted by on December 19, 2016 at 7:14 pm. 1 Comments :

The appalling revelations about Russia’s hacking during the presidential election continue to taint its outcome. Anyone who thinks our democracy is credible under these circumstances is willfully blind. And no one is more dismissive of the truth in this regard than President-Elect Donald Trump.

Trump/Putin

Seventeen intelligence agencies, including the CIA and the FBI, agree that Russia engaged in cyber attacks aimed at hurting Hillary Clinton and helping Trump. Nevertheless, Trump persists in defending his BFF, Vladimir Putin, and refusing to accept Russia’s obvious guilt. When Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday asked him about Russia’s hacking he responded that “It’s ridiculous. It’s just another excuse. I don’t believe it.” As recently as last week he tweeted:

In that comment he not only rejected Russia’s criminal complicity, but lied about the White House response. The Obama administration revealed the facts in October and it was covered prominently in the media. Trump’s position that Russia was not responsible for the hacking remained as strong as ever. Well, maybe not ever. Because in 2014 he appeared on his regular segment on Fox News, “Monday’s with Trump,” along with the Fox & Friends gang. He had a very different opinion then. When asked about hacking by China, Trump made it clear that China was not the only culprit:

“It’s disgraceful what’s going on with China generally. No, I think [FBI Director James Comey] is 100% right, it’s a big problem, and we have that problem also with Russia … doing the same thing.” […]

“This is a different world today. You say things on the Internet, you say things over a computer and people are going to find out what you’re saying it’s very dangerous and very bad in many ways.”

So two years ago Trump considered Russia’s hacking to be a big problem. Today he thinks the notion is ridiculous. What’s changed?

Well, for one thing, Trump wasn’t running for president in 2014 and didn’t have any motivation for distorting the truth. More to the point though, the allegations of Russia’s hacking two years ago was related to commerce and had an adverse personal impact on him. However, this year their hacking was blatantly advantageous to him and damaging to Clinton. If the harm done by the hacking was appropriately considered, the election results would have to be regarded as suspect and set aside pending an investigation. That would nullify, at least temporarily, Trump’s “victory.”

It is clearly in Trump’s favor, therefore, to vindicate Russia and oppose any further inquiry. Consequently, his position now is to waive off the allegations and absolve Russia of any guilt. That’s in stark contrast to his prior position just two years ago. And, as is so often the case with Trump, he will reshape his position to whatever is in his best interest at the time. That’s how he gets away with calls for border walls during the campaign, but settles for fences now. Or promising to repeal ObamaCare, but now claiming to want to preserve its most prominent features. Or bitterly insulting his rivals as dummies, but now embracing and even praising them as brilliant. Even President Obama, who he said was “the worst president in history,” is now his trusted friend and advisor.

That’s what we call a hypocrite, a con-man, a liar. There is literally nothing Trump says that you can take at face value. You always have to look for how it benefits him, and expect to find some contradictions from the past. This is emerging as a hallmark of his presidency and it hasn’t even officially begun yet. Sad.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

https://youtu.be/BxVAzHfcovs


REALITY CHECK: Trump’s Chief of Staff Says ‘Every Single Thing He’s Done Has Been Factual’

Posted by on December 18, 2016 at 2:49 pm. 13 Comments :

Dispatch From Bizarro World: Donald Trump’s incoming Chief of Staff appeared on Fox News Sunday and demonstrated just how far from reality these people have strayed. In an interview with Chris Wallace, Reince Priebus dodged and weaved for twelve minutes, avoiding direct answers to simple questions. For instance, he wavered on whether Trump still doesn’t accept that Russia hacked the election to benefit his campaign. In fact, Priebus implied that the CIA and the FBI might be lying in their assessments. Apparently, like his boss, he puts more trust in Vladimir Putin than in the American intelligence community.

Reince Priebus

However, there was an enlightening exchange toward the end that perfectly epitomizes the alternate reality that Trumpsters inhabit. Wallace wondered whether there was any talk within the Trump camp about “damping down [his] provocative remarks.” Priebus first denied that he says anything provocative. Then he made this stunning declaration:

“I think every single thing he’s done has been factual and has been in line with where 80 percent of the American people are at.”

Seriously? Donald Trump may be the most flagrantly dishonest politician in history. His prodigious lying is well documented (see the Trump Bullshitopedia) In 2015, PolitiFact’s Lie of the Year was “The campaign misstatements of Donald Trump.” They couldn’t even settle on a single lie, they had to designate his entire collection of falsehoods. And Trump’s PolitiFact report card reveals that he lies far more frequently than anyone else they have ever reviewed. He currently has a record 62 “Pants-on-Fire” lies contributing to 69 percent “Mostly False” or worse.

As for being in line with 80 percent of the American people, that’s a number Priebus pulled from – let’s say thin air. Trump didn’t even get 50 percent of the American people to vote for him. And Hillary Clinton’s popular vote margin is nearing 3,000,000. Trump now has the lowest favorability of any president-elect.

To say that everything Trump’s done has been factual dumps a new whopper on top of the pile that Trump has already built. But it does reinforce the Trump Doctrine of doubling down on whatever they say, no matter how ludicrous. Trump has still never admitted that there weren’t thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating 9/11. He still clings to the the nonsense that millions of Clinton votes were illegal. And he continues to insist that America’s corporate taxes are the highest in the world, there are more murders now than in the past 45 years, and that climate change is a hoax. None of those things are true.

Despite his atrocious record on truth-telling, Trump regards himself as a paragon of veracity. Last year he told Greta Van Susteren of Fox News that “I don’t lie. In fact, if anything, I’m so truthful that it gets me in trouble. They say I’m too truthful.” Yeah, right. Obviously everything above negates that delusional self-appraisal.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

https://youtu.be/OHVCSB3WtVA