Over the past several years, we've watched President Donald Trump and his administration wield misinformation not just as a shield, but as a weapon—deploying conspiracy theories, half-truths, and outright falsehoods to bury tough headlines and duck accountability. The first months of Republican control, instead of being a time of bold policy moves, were filled with desperate attempts to distract. Scandals like the Epstein saga, broken promises on tariffs, and a series of policy blunders didn't disappear. They were shoved out of the public eye with a fresh barrage of controversy.
Little lies, repeated and amplified, don't stay little. They metastasize into something far more dangerous—twisted stories that pit neighbor against neighbor, scapegoat immigrants for economic frustration, and revive the ugliest suspicions about our first Black president with birther conspiracies. They fuel misogyny and racism toward the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win a major party's nomination. These stories don't just distract; they divide. "Us" and "them" lines are drawn—Muslims, Mexicans, dissenters, anyone inconvenient to the narrative.
Distraction is a strategy—a relentless stream of tweets, baseless allegations, and spectacular rallies designed to drown out the reality that promises are broken, policies flounder, and the very soul of democracy is at risk. Whenever scrutiny threatens, the blame shifts. A new enemy is named, a new controversy invented. Shrugging this off as "just politics" is a luxury none of us can afford. In doing so, we surrender the very things that bind us: moral clarity, responsibility towards neighbors, and commitment to truth.
What do we do, practically, in the face of this? How do we counter the onslaught of misinformation and manipulation, not just as individuals but as families, neighborhoods, and communities? Here's how we can move from outrage to action, from anxiety to agency:
1. Recognize the Playbook, Not Just the Headlines
Don't just react to the latest scandal or viral tweet—look for the pattern behind it. When a new controversy explodes, pause and ask: Who benefits from this distraction? What's being swept under the rug? For example, if a policy failure is dominating the news, does a sudden cultural "crisis" soon follow? Make it a habit to dig beneath the surface. Share these patterns with friends and family—help others see the strings being pulled.
2. Fact-Check—And Teach Others How To
Refuse to take statements at face value, no matter the source. Use nonpartisan fact-checkers like Snopes, FactCheck.org, or Politifact. More importantly, teach your kids, your relatives, and your peers how to do the same. Consider hosting a "fact-check night" with your children, showing them how to trace a rumor to its source. Equip your community—whether it's a book club, church group, or PTA—with tools and workshops on media literacy. The more people who know how to spot a lie, the weaker those lies become.
3. Call Out Prejudice—Every Time, Everywhere
When misinformation mutates into racism, sexism, or xenophobia, don't let it slide. Speak up in meetings, on social media, and at family gatherings. Don't just say, "That's not true"—say, "That's rooted in prejudice, and it's wrong." Encourage your workplace, faith community, or local organizations to create standing responses—statements, workshops, or rapid-response teams—to address hate speech and misinformation as it arises. If you're a person of faith, use your platform to name these harms from the pulpit or in small groups. Silence is not neutral; it's complicity.
4. Build Stronger Ties Across Differences
The best antidote to "us vs. them" is a real relationship. Go out of your way to connect with those targeted by misinformation—immigrants, people of color, and religious minorities. Attend events outside your usual circles—volunteer with organizations led by those communities. When possible, bring people together for shared projects—a community clean-up, a neighborhood meal, a joint advocacy campaign. Listen to stories directly from those who are scapegoated; amplify their voices in your networks. Host forums and dialogues that address tough topics honestly and respectfully.
5. Demand Accountability
Don't wait for someone else to act. Write letters to your representatives on issues that matter, but also when you see attempts to distract or deceive. Call out misleading statements at local council meetings, school board sessions, and even in casual conversations. Set up regular check-ins with neighbors to discuss community concerns, and invite regional leaders to answer your questions directly. Post public questions in local forums or social media groups and encourage respectful debate.
6. Support Honest Media
Subscribe to reputable news outlets, especially local ones. Share well-sourced stories, not just headlines. If you see journalists being attacked or threatened for doing their jobs, speak up in their defense. Consider starting a neighborhood newsletter or podcast that highlights both problems and solutions in your area. Host "media nights" where you and your community dissect coverage of important issues—what's missing, what's misleading, and what's true.
7. Practice Civic Courage
Moral courage isn't the domain of a few heroes; it's a daily practice for all of us. Stand up when it's awkward. Interrupt misinformation in real time. Model humility and a willingness to admit when you're wrong. Support those who take public risks for truth and justice—let them know they're not alone.
8. Take Care of Each Other
Build circles of support—people you can talk with honestly about your fears and frustrations. Celebrate small wins. Check in on those who are most vulnerable. Remember that kindness, patience, and humor are as necessary as outrage.
There's an old preacher's saying: "You can't heal what you won't name." The lies we're told—especially when they come from the top—aren't just fibs. They're deliberate tools meant to keep us divided and distracted, so the real work of democracy goes undone and social trust erodes. But we're not powerless. The strength of a nation is measured not by its leaders' cunning but by the conscience, courage, and solidarity of its people.
We can insist on the truth. We can hold each other accountable, and we can refuse to be divided by those who profit from our disunity. The work is hard, but it's ours. And in the end, that's how democracy survives—not by coincidence, but by persistent, stubborn, hopeful labor of ordinary people who refuse to look away.
Rev. Dr. F. Willis Johnson is a spiritual entrepreneur, author, scholar-practioner whose leadership and strategies around social and racial justice issues are nationally recognized and applied.
