Donald Trump has created his own Alice in Wonderland world, where everything is flipped on its head, where things are the opposite of what they in fact are. He has conquered by labeling things that present the truth as "fake," whereas in fact he himself and what he presents as "truth" to his supporters are fake. What follows is just a small sampling of his manipulation of facts.
1. The latest fake news is Trump's rationale for military action against Iran. He claims that 1) Iran has restarted its nuclear program, 2) that it could build a bomb within days, and 3) will soon have long-range missiles capable of hitting the U.S.
But as reported in The New York Times, these claims are either false or unproven. International monitoring groups and U.S. intelligence find that Iran's uranium is still buried after the last attack, that they have not resumed their nuclear program, that they could not build a bomb quickly, and that long-range missiles that could hit the U.S. are years away. These claims are reminiscent of Bush's false claims of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction as a reason for invading Iraq.
2. He Won the 2020 Election: Probably the most serious of his lies is his claim that he won the 2020 election and that the numbers showed him losing because of fraud and various irregularities. I say the most serious because it presents a serious challenge to the foundation of our democracy—free and fair elections.
What are the facts? After losing, Trump and his allies filed a record 62 suits challenging election processes, vote counting, and vote certification in 9 states. He lost each and every case.
He and his allies also asked for recounts or audits in five states—a total of 8 requests. In each instance, the election results were confirmed—there was no fraud.
Trump tried to have fake electors in seven states certify that he had won their state's election. However, on January 5, Pence made clear that he did not have the discretion to reject valid electoral college certifications, and therefore could not participate in this scheme.
Then in a last effort, on January 6, Trump urged his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol, where the certification of the election results was to take place that day, and thus disrupt the process.
Trump still does not concede he lost in 2020 and continues to claim fraud. His supporters, as believers, share that belief. This is perhaps the central "fact" that drives his continuing support.
Why have Democrats never made the public and his supporters aware of these overwhelming facts?
3. Illegal Immigrants Are Criminals: Murderers and Rapists: Trump has for years been railing against illegal immigrants as being serious criminals and causing an increase in crime in American cities.
That is fake news. The truth is that U.S. Customs and Border Protection data show that only a small number of illegal immigrants have committed crimes other than illegal entry and DUI. Data from the Texas Dept of Public Safety further show that undocumented immigrants have substantially lower crime rates than US-born citizens. The mass deportation program and ICE actions have been unwarranted.
4. Large "Democratic" Cities Are Out of Control: Starting with the District of Columbia, and then Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, and New York, Trump has claimed these cities are dangerous because of out-of-control gang and other criminal activity. He then either called up the state's National Guard over the objection of state and local Democratic officials or sent in the Marines.
The facts are that violent crime has actually decreased in our major cities over the past 6 years. Yes, it is true that crime in the poor sections of these cities is a serious factor affecting residents' lives, and that local police have not been able to make much headway in making these areas safer. Overall, these cities are quite safe.
Further, these troops have not been stationed in poor areas to stop crime. The result is that serious crime has not decreased; the ghettos have not been made safer.
This whole project has been a ruse, creating a reason for Trump to show his power and punish his Democratic enemies.
5. He Is the Best Friend Jews Ever Had: Trump claims that no president has fought antisemitism as much as he has.
That is fake news. The truth is that Trump has not fought antisemitism at all. He has fought what he calls the antisemitism of student protests against Israel's war in Gaza. But as I explained in an article, "Are the Anti-Gaza War Protests an Example of Anti-Semitism?", being anti-Netanyahu or even anti-Israel is not necessarily being antisemitic.
But he has not fought real antisemitism. Here is a man who, as President, has cozied up to white supremacists who are known to be antisemites, as well as Blacks such as Kanye West. He has said nothing about the antisemitic vitriol that comes from these people who support him.
6. He ended the War in Gaza: Trump sees himself as an international peace maker. After the cease-fire and hostage deal were announced, Trump said, "At long last, we have peace in the Middle East." "The war is over."
That is fake news. This was just the first and easiest stage of the larger peace deal, to which neither Hamas nor Israel has committed themselves. There have been ceasefires and hostage deals before. Given the unrelenting enmity between the two forces, it is highly unlikely that a peace deal will ever be reached.
7. He Has Fought For the American Working Man and Farmer: Trump's rise to power was based largely on his support among working men and women and rural Americans, both of whom have been having a rough time economically for decades. Why did they support him? In his speeches, he gave voice to their grievances.
But that posturing was all fake. In reality, Trump has done nothing to help either the working man or the family farmer. What he has done is help big business and the rich. He has, however, done much that has hurt his supporters, mainly through tariffs that have raised prices on everyday products, as well as on tractors and fertilizer, which impact farmers.
And the tariffs imposed on China have caused China to completely cease buying soybeans from American farmers, causing huge losses.
Unfortunately, because he has near-God status among his supporters, he can do no wrong and speaks the truth. Anything his opponents say to prove otherwise is not listened to. Even the clear suffering of farmers because of his actions has not affected their support of him, even as they complain.
What should Democrats do in this situation? Present the public with the truth about these issues and explain why their vision and policies are grounded in our founding principles and will help all Americans. Do it incessantly. Resist bashing Trump because he is very popular with the people you want to convince to vote for you this time. Run a positive campaign.
Ronald L. Hirsch is a teacher, legal aid lawyer, survey researcher, nonprofit executive, consultant, composer, author, and volunteer. He is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Chicago Law School and the author of We Still Hold These Truths. Read more of his writing at www.PreservingAmericanValues.com
