It’s becoming a fairly routine part of America’s morning. Donald Trump awakes and takes to his Twitter machine to babble incoherently on subjects he knows nothing about. Or more accurately, subjects that he is deliberately lying about. This Thursday morning is no exception. In fact it’s one of the best examples of Trump’s dishonesty and repulsiveness to date.

Now you might think I’m referring to Trump’s tweets about Democrats “leading an assault on our country” by central American refugees. But that isn’t it. Nor is it his threat to deploy the military to the border to confront these unarmed and frightened refugees. It’s not even his re-posting a video originally posted by crackpot GOP Rep. Matt Geatz that alleged that these refugees were paid by George Soros. Neither Trump nor Gaetz provided any evidence that the video was of refugees, or that they were being given money, or anything else that they claimed. Trump didn’t even make a claim, he just re-posted the video without any explanation.

Those tweets would be bad enough by themselves, but Trump posted something even more disturbing. It reflects his proclivity for lying at every opportunity, regardless of the subject matter. And it shows that he clearly recognizes that he and his fellow Republicans are headed for a massive defeat in November. Trump himself is the main reason for the GOP’s electoral troubles, but recent polls also reveal that healthcare is the top issue for most voters. So Trump tweeted this blatant lie:

All Republicans support people with pre-existing conditions, and if they don’t, they will after I speak to them. I am in total support. Also, Democrats will destroy your Medicare, and I will keep it healthy and well!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018

This is one of the easiest of Trump’s lies to debunk. His administration is currently supporting a lawsuit by twenty GOP-led states to end insurance plans that offer coverage for pre-existing conditions. And Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell recently promised to take another stab at repealing ObamaCare. What’s more, Trump’s alleged defense of Medicare is laughable. He and Congress are currently proposing to cut Medicare, along with Social Security due to the exploding budget deficit they created by giving a trillion dollars in tax cuts to the wealthy.

However, the most grotesque part of Trump’s tweet may be a little something that he probably thought was a throwaway line to demonstrate how strong and persuasive he is. He qualifies his lie that all Republicans support coverage for pre-existing conditions by saying that “if they don’t, they will after I speak to them.” Of course, that means nothing since he doesn’t support it himself. But he’s also suggesting that his unchallenged power will force every Republican to do exactly what he tells them to do. He believes that there is only one branch of government, with him at the helm. He thinks that Congress is, and must obediently act as, his servant. That’s the behavior of an unabashed dictator.

What’s especially frightening about this is that Trump is actually correct in declaring that Republicans will do whatever he tells them to. They have proven that repeatedly over the past couple of years. And that’s what you’re voting for when you vote for any Republican. They have shamelessly abandoned their constitutional duty to be a check and balance on Trump and to exercise oversight of his breaches of ethics and law. In fact, they help him to cover up his crimes by refusing to investigate or leading sham investigations. They have supported him unquestioningly on every policy, no matter how unwise or unpopular. Even those who were critics have become slobbering sycophants. For instance Ted Cruz, who once said Trump was a pathological liar. And Lindsey Graham who called Trump a kook who is unfit for office (video below).

Trump is certifying his desire to rule like the kinds of tyrants he most admires: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, etc. And he regards it as a symbol of strength. But what it is not, is American. This country cast off the bounds of tyranny when we overthrew the British monarchy. Trump wants to bring back an even worse version of it. And his Deplorable cult followers are so blind and ignorant and filled with prejudice and rage that they are fully on board. If you’re a patriot who values freedom, that ought to be sufficient to get you vote Democratic and to get to the polls this November 6. And to get as many of your friends and family to join you.

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