Leaders are a danger to democracy if they have weak commitments to democratic rules, if they deny opponents legitimacy, if they insinuate or tolerate violence, if they show willingness to curb civil liberties, if they make a free Press the enemy of the people; and, of course, if they are pathological liars, psychotic narcissists, and have no moral compass.
It would appear the current occupant of the Oval Office meets or exceeds the criteria…
False Statements Involving Donald Trump
For example:
Says 3,000 people “did not die” in two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. That death toll estimate was “done by Democrats.”
“Someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost. Don’t know why Washington politicians don’t change libel laws?”
Says “96 percent of (Google News) results on ‘Trump News’ are from National Left-Wing Media.”
“Wow, highest Poll Numbers in the history of the Republican Party. That includes Honest Abe Lincoln and Ronald Reagan.”
From April 1, 2011 to September 18, 2018. For the complete list see PolitiFact.com
President Trump has made 5,001 false or misleading claims (As of 12 August 2018)
For example:
“The job that FEMA and law enforcement and everybody did, working along with the Governor in Puerto Rico, I think was tremendous. I think that Puerto Rico was an incredible, unsung success.”
“’President Trump would need a magic wand to get to 4% GDP,’ stated President Obama. I guess I have a magic wand, 4.2%, and we will do MUCH better than this! We have just begun.”
“We are breaking all Jobs and Economic Records but, importantly, our Country has TREMENDOUS FUTURE POTENTIAL. We have just begun!”
100 Ways, in 100 Days, That Trump Has Hurt Americans
1. Raised housing payments for new homebuyers by about $500 in 2017.
On its first day, the Trump administration reversed an Obama administration action to lower Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, mortgage insurance premiums for new homebuyers by 25 basis points, which could have lowered mortgage payments for 1 million households purchasing or refinancing their home this year alone.
2. Attacked the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule, which would have required retirement advisers to act in their clients’ best financial interest.
President Trump delayed the rule’s implementation by 60 days and has ordered the department to re-evaluate the rule. This will make it much harder to save for retirement, as high fees from conflicted advice result in savers losing $17 billion in fees annually.
T r u m p ’ s L i e s (A Partial List)
Many Americans have become accustomed to President Trump’s lies. But as regular as they have become, the country should not allow itself to become numb to them. So we have catalogued nearly every outright lie he has told publicly since taking the oath of office ( Up to November 2017 ).
Absolutely Terrifying Things Donald Trump Has Done To America
- Fired the director of the FBI, James Comey, for failing to demonstrate personal loyalty to him.
- Asked intelligence chiefs kill the FBI’s investigation into Comey for him.
- Undermined international cooperation on climate change – and America’s credibility on the world stage – out of mindless spite.
- Mendaciously accused London’s first Muslim mayor of being indifferent to terrorism, hours after a terrorist attack in London.
- Shared highly classified Israeli intelligence with a core ally (Russia) of Israel’s top geopolitical foe (Iran).
- Praised a foreign leader (Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, a self-avowed murderer) for his policy of sanctioning the extrajudicial killings of thousands of suspected drug dealers and users.
- Had his daughter, Ivanka Kushner, meet with the Chinese president the same day that her company won trademarks from the Chinese government.
(This 5-page list headlines events up to 1st week of June 2017, ONLY) – PDF here
note: original list by NYMag
Choices
America is standing at the abyss. Do we fall in? Do we jump in? Do we continue with eyes closed, minds lost in the chaos, allowing our nation to be simply pushed over the edge? Or, do we say, NO, and back away.
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children” First Nations proverb.
