As Donald Trump barrels headlong into one fiasco after another, his media flacks struggle to spin his catastrophes into something that avoids the malodorous stench of corruption, criminality, and failure. It’s a constant uphill battle with reality that pushes his press team to emulate the fantastical sycophancy of the totalitarian regimes that Trump idolizes.

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The Trumpy propagandists are presently trying to find ways to turn his seething hostilities toward American allies (Ukraine, Canada, Europe, etc.), and the appalling breaches of his national security staffers (SignalGate), into a consumable mush that he can feed to his gullible cult followers. And to put it generously, it aint working.

SEE THIS: SIGNALGATE: How Fox News Fouled Up the War Planning Chat Scandal Was More Cover-Up than Coverage

One of the key methods that the Trump team uses to suppress criticism and dissent is the fine art of deflection. They will deliberately introduce a new subject to divert attention away from a matter that is more harmful. The risk of this tactic is that the new subject might actually be even worse than what they were hoping to avoid.

Case in point, Trump has been trying to float his authoritarian aspirations to tyranny by proposing that he extend his occupation of the White House into a constitutionally prohibited third term. The 22nd Amendment states plainly that “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” But mere laws can’t dampen Trump’s lust for power. When asked about this by Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, Trump replied that “I’m not joking…There are methods which you could do it.”

Of course there are. Vladimir Putin did it. Xi Jinping did it. Viktor Orbán did it. And if Trump’s idols can do it, so can he. Right? And Trump’s press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, is more than happy to patronize his despotic dreams. When the matter came up on Fox News, Leavitt declined to refute the madness expressed by her boss, saying that…

“It’s funny to me that journalists ask the president this question. He gives an honest and candid answer and then they spiral about his answer. He was asked this, and you heard him, and he’s right. People love the job this president is doing. And as he said, we are focused on this term. We have four more years to go.”

Leavitt: It's funny to me that journalists ask the president this question. He gives an honest and candid answer and then they spiral about his answer pic.twitter.com/HLcEgFSrVO

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 31, 2025

Notice that Leavitt never actually denies that Trump is harboring unhinged hopes of declaring himself president-for-life. Instead, she just lies about his popularity, as if that would justify undermining democracy and taking over the country as its new dictator. For the record, Trump sits at the bottom of the popularity polls for presidents at this point in their terms.

CONGRATULATIONS MAGA!Trump is only the 2nd president since 1937 to have net negative approval two months into a term. The other one was also Trump.His policies are also in negative territory. And this is from 5 different polls, including Fox News.

— News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-03-20T18:36:27.121Z

Leavitt is giving the propaganda operations in Russia and North Korea a run for their money. She is incapable of opening her mouth without lies gushing out like a busted fire hydrant. Which is a skill that has surely endeared her to Trump. But the ease with which these people advocate for monarchal rule should be a wake up call for all Americans. Because, as Trump himself says, he isn’t joking.

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