The Whole Truth and Nothing But . . . Oops

It has been an eventful first few weeks for our nation, our new President, his Administration, and by extension, our world. In a weird way, one has to give the President credit for holding true to many of the promises he made during the long and disturbing campaign. He said he would break the political mold. And he has. We are accustomed to politicians who campaign one one set of promises only to govern differently upon taking office.

It almost makes me want to say, we should take the President at his word.  But outside of these past weeks of rapid-fire Executive Orders, built on what seemed at the time as outlandish and impossible realities, there is precious little reason to trust virtually anything this new President says.  And that’s not based on just a handful of weeks, or even an overly disturbing Presidential Campaign season. In this President’s case, while he may have a very thin political resume, his business and entertainment resume stretch back decades.  This is a man who, in a best-selling book entitled The Art of the Deal proudly proclaims that to be successful one must “deal” in “truthful hyperbole.”  In other words, words themselves do not matter.  It is the true creativity and forcefulness with which one makes his or her assertions, while holding fast to one’s “beliefs” that paves the way to success.  In only the first days of this new Administration that “principle” (if one can call that a principle) was turned into “alternative facts.”

Day by day we watch this concept unfold as a guiding strategy of the Administration.  As each day’s new Executive Orders, and other maneuvers are pronounced, we watch the President’s associates proclaim war on the truth, the media, and in short, anyone who dares question their portrayal of reality.

Having just spent a bit over a week in Austria and Hungary, where totalitarian regimes held sway in the not-too-distant past, I found myself watching and listening from Central Europe with incredulity. Rather than watching the early days of a new Presidency and trying to find a way, as I have numerous other times in my adult life, to grow to respect a leader for whom I did not cast my vote, I find myself in shock. Each day I tuned in from afar to learn of the latest outrage.

Much has been said and written about the President’s strained relationship with the truth. Each day, one or more of his close associates and advisors steps in front of the cameras to lambast all who dare question his policies and directives.

But this President’s history – both in business, and more recently on the campaign trail, should strike deep concern in the hearts and minds of us all and not only of those of us who did not support him on Election Day.  We went to our polling places to elect a new Commander-In-Chief. And indeed we did.  But more pointedly, and with each passing day, of greater concern must be the fact that we have elected a Liar-in-Chief, who if nothing else has a long track record of making false statements, manufacturing “facts,” and of outright dishonesty.  He may not have a lengthy political track record yet, but look at the lengthy record of business dealings in which students at Trump University, and contractors working at his various projects and properties who have been cheated. His dealings so often end up in court, and are often settled out-of-court so he can move on to his next dishonest scheme. (And indeed, just last night we received word of a court ruling on one of his early Executive Orders regarding immigration and refugees.) Listen to the President’s outrageous claims about millions attending his Inauguration, or the millions who illegally voted on Election Day. Virtually all evidence points to the contrary on nearly every account.

We are barely three weeks into this new era. Many Americans, and many around the world with us, are aghast at what is unfolding before our eyes.  The President claims to be making Americans safer.  Who will keep us safe from his lies and despotic maneuvering?  The answer must come from the first words of that sacred document he promised to uphold on January 20^th.

“We, the People” must stand up to the falsehoods,. We must stand up as well to those who not only stand by and compound his lies, but who are rewriting our identity as a nation, day-by-day, Executive Action by action, one falsehood-filled speech after another.   US is the United States of America, and is US – “We, the People.” “We, the People” must call one another, and the rest of our elected officials to account, and we need to act quickly. They represent US.