Trump’s lies, fraud and scandal
In 2016, Donald Trump ran as an outsider, as someone who could criticize the political record of his primary opponents (although he primarily used insults and lies rather than actual policy analysis).
Trump, of course, attacked Hillary Clinton during the general election. Again, he didn’t point toward her legislative actions as a senator, but rather, he recklessly extrapolated from the equally reckless Wikileaks digital dumps. He claimed hundreds of times that he loved Wikileaks, but later said he knew nothing about them. And he thanked Russia for helping Wikileaks!
But in 2024, he has a personal, political, and, historically, criminal record.
His radically irresponsible downplaying of Covid-19 led to hundreds of thousands of Americans dead by the end of 2020.
And he still brags about appointing Supreme Court “justices” who have now taken away women’s control of their reproductive rights over their own bodies.
He deregulated key environmental protections, making our air, food, water and soil more polluted, toxic and dangerous to Americans.
Trump took us out of that critical treaty and several other crucial treaties that safeguard against nuclear war. His actions have made it much more likely that Iran now has nukes, that Russia is actively preparing for nuclear war and that new classes of Euromissiles are being deployed that radically ratchet up chances of accidental nuclear war.
Virtually all U.S. presidents have told one or more lies. But the failure of Trump’s base and his political allies to challenge or even question his buck-naked lying is seen as demonstrating that he uses them, at least in part, as a loyalty test. So now, with a verified record, anyone can see and decide for themselves—is this a leader good for America?
It is essential to test all claims and to spend at least a bit of time seeking honest, truthful confirmation of those made by anyone. Then, we will make an informed choice when we vote.
Dr. Tom H. Hastings is coordinator of conflict resolution BA/BS degree programs and certificates at Portland State University.
