Donald Trump: Making It Up As He Goes Along
One of the more recent lies by President is reported by Nicole Hensley in the NY Daily News.
Trump:
"And I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them, and they were very thankful."
The Boy Scouts:
Except the Boy Scouts did no such thing, according to a source within the organization.The Boy Scout source disputed that its leadership called Trump to praise the July 24 speech in Glen Jean, W.V., as claimed by the President in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
"We are not aware of any calls from national BSA leadership to the White House," the source said.
From The Hill's Jonathan Easley, Sarah Huckabee Sanders does the hedgy-wedgy:
"Why did the president say that he received a phone call from the leader of the Boy Scouts and the president of Mexico when he did not?" a reporter asked press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. "Did he lie?"Sanders said that Trump misspoke on both counts -- that he did not receive phone calls but rather had personal conversations with the leaders.
In regards to Mexico, Sanders said Trump was referring to a personal conversation from last month's Group of 20 summit.
On the Boy Scouts, Sanders said Trump did not hear from the president directly, but rather that he had heard from "multiple members of Boy Scout leadership" who offered him "quite powerful compliments."
"So he lied," the reporter shot back.
"It wasn't a lie. That's a pretty bold accusation," Sanders responded. "The conversations took place. They just simply didn't take place over a phone call. He had them in person."
Think that "I misspoke" kinda thing would have worked with your mom? Mine, neither.
On a related note, from The New York Times, President Trump's Lies, The Definitive List. Here are just those from a single day -- those that were reported:
MAY 1 "Well, we are protecting pre-existing conditions. And it'll be every good -- bit as good on pre-existing conditions as Obamacare." (The bill weakens protections for people with pre-existing conditions.)MAY 1 "The F-35 fighter jet -- I saved -- I got involved in the negotiation. It's 2,500 jets. I negotiated for 90 planes, lot 10. I got $725 million off the price." (Much of the price cuts were planned before Trump.)
MAY 1 "First of all, since I started running, they haven't increased their -- you know, they have not manipulated their currency. I think that was out of respect to me and the campaign." (China stopped years ago.)
Now, all people lie. But this man is the President, and he pretty much constantly spews out statements that, um, bear little or no tether to reality.
The disturbing this is that he seems to have little respect for the facts or checking the facts.
I'm no Hillary fan, nor was I an Obama, Bush, or Bush fan, but, well, as I used to put it about Hillary (compared to Trump), "at least she's a corrupt adult."
Hillary is certainly as corrupt as she is incompetent.
Terrible SecState, complete non-factor in 8 years as a senator, but at least she does excel at one thing: lining her pockets.
dee nile at August 3, 2017 3:33 AM
"A source."
Oooo!
Benghazi happened because of a YouTube video, right?
Horrified. Be horrified!
Radwaste at August 3, 2017 3:35 AM
Donald Trump is an ass, I agree. But you lose credibility every time you say this nonsensical "corrupt adult" line.
Trump's problems are his mouth and Twitter. But insofar as doing his job, from policy to nominations, he has been outstanding. 90% of what he says is nonsense, but 90% of what he does is great.
Contrast that with Hillary. Only 80% of what she says would be nonsense, but we'd be lucky if she did good even 10% of the time. And you'd seriously be willing to trade his actions for hers because she supposedly acts more mature?
We are extraordinarily fortunate he is President instead of her. Now if he would just shut up and cancel his Twitter account we'd be even more fortunate.
Hillary's corrupt policies and "adult" words over Trump's great policies and adolescent like words? No thank you. How foolish.
Trust at August 3, 2017 6:29 AM
You mean the "adult" who dodged bullets on the Sarajevo tarmac, got good investment advice to help her turn $1,000 to $100,000 in her first foray into cattle futures, was named for Sir Edmund Hillary, did not reject a request for added security at he Benghazi consulate, and never sent nor received any materials marked classified on her unsecured (and illegal) private e-mail server while Secretary of State? That "adult?"
Trump's lies are self-aggrandizing puffery: biggest inauguration crowd ever, best received speech, loved by millions, etc. Hillary's lies are attempts to avoid responsibility for personal and professional failures. Both are dangerous (and delusional) in a president.
As for, "Well, we are protecting pre-existing conditions. And it'll be every good -- bit as good on pre-existing conditions as Obamacare." Well, it ranks up there with "If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep your healthcare plan."
Gee, I'm starting to think all politicians lie.
"Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers." ~ Nikita Khrushchev
Conan the Grammarian at August 3, 2017 6:36 AM
The examples in the article seem more like fibs - honesty stretched by showmanship.
As for the New York Times page, much of that is simply lies by the Times. E.g. "Jan. 23 “Between 3 million and 5 million illegal votes caused me to lose the popular vote.” (There's no evidence of illegal voting.)
There definitely was some illegal voting, and it's certainly an open question as to how much there was, as investigations into this have been blocked. So, it's really a lie by the New York Times, not Trump, that there was no evidence of illegal voting.
I'm sure the New York Times has a page like this for other presidents as well, right?
Snoopy at August 3, 2017 6:43 AM
Hillary would likely have made an effective president, but the problem with Hillary is less with Hillary herself than with the people and political movements she would have empowered after her election.
The intrusive regulatory state would have gone into overdrive with another four years of a obliging president. BLM and its traffic blocking protests, Title IX campus kangaroo courts, economy killing global warming legislation, race and gender discrimination activism, open access for all to locker rooms and bathrooms, enforcing 32 genders in pre-pubescent children - if you thought that kind of nonsense got out of hand under Obama, under Hillary it would have been cemented into the country's cultural, legislative, and judicial foundations.
Conan the Grammarian at August 3, 2017 7:02 AM
Yeah, Hillary would have been effective, which is why I'm really glad Trump got in instead. I'd much rather have a failed Trump presidency than a successful Clinton one.
Rex Little at August 3, 2017 7:17 AM
Everything that comes out of this administration's mouth is a lie.
Every.
Fucking.
Thing.
And the truly scary part is that Trump thinks that all he has to do is declare something to be a fact, and in his head, it therefore is.
Steven Daniels at August 3, 2017 11:46 AM
Donald Trump as Solipsist-in-Chief.
Conan the Grammarian at August 3, 2017 12:07 PM
"Everything that comes out of this administration's mouth is a lie.
Every. Fucking. Thing."
But that has been the norm for American presidents for quite some time.
"It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' is" ~Clinton
“I have no recollection of that ever happening.” ~Regan
Though, in Regan's case I think he was telling the truth. Is honest senility better than calculated lying?
Ben at August 3, 2017 12:36 PM
I think we've entered the post-fact era of America, where anything one doesn't like or agree with can be dismissed as "fake news" and anything one likes can be accepted as truth regardless of its veracity.
Matt Taibbi put it well today in an interview with Vox:
"Politics is like sports now. I mean, how many sports fans do you know who will pick up the news one morning and say, 'You know what? I'm not gonna be a Yankees fan anymore.' They’re Yankees fans for life. And that’s how people are about politics now, certainly more than they were before. ... From my point of view, Trump looks like a historically incompetent politician. From his voters’ point of view, it's a conspiracy of elites out to get him. So I wouldn't expect to see mass defections anytime soon."
Kevin at August 3, 2017 12:49 PM
"And the truly scary part is that Trump thinks that all he has to do is declare something to be a fact, and in his head, it therefore is."
Prove it.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at August 3, 2017 2:12 PM
"And the truly scary part is that Trump thinks that all he has to do is declare something to be a fact, and in his head, it therefore is."
So how is that different from anyone else in Washington? Hillary still believes that her performance as a Presidential candidate was perfect, and that the fault for her not winning lies with everyone else.
Cousin Dave at August 3, 2017 2:22 PM
Steven Daniels: "And the truly scary part is that Trump thinks that all he has to do is declare something to be a fact, and in his head, it therefore is."
He took his playbook from the Democrats. So what?
charles at August 3, 2017 5:49 PM
Everything that comes out of this administration's mouth is a lie
If you like your doctor...
I read it in the paper, just like you...
Your premiums will go down by $2500..
I will lower the sea level...
There is not a smidgen of evidence that the Sec. of State...
Stinky the Clown at August 3, 2017 5:50 PM
Leave a comment