The MSM has employed “fact checkers” to instantly point out Trump’s “lies” near instantaneously whenever he finishes a major address, debate or interview. Leaving aside that they themselves need fact checkers and that they were nowhere to be seen when Biden’s obvious mental decline and the coverup were obvious to all, the whole exercise is pointless as they are missing the point.
Further, which is also obvious, the whole exercise is not, of course, to check Trump’s veracity, but to simply be a propaganda tool for the Dems.
But, back to why the whole exercise is otiose. As Salena Zito famously said in The Atlantic,” Trump’s supporters take him seriously but not literally while the media takes him literally but not seriously.” But, since 2016, this has moved on as a concept, as it has become embedded in the journalistic playbook in the back pages and accepted as a base norm.
The “Trump lies” exploded again on social media and the MSN after the debate with Biden (note it didn’t explode in respect of the lies and coverup of Biden’s senility) but again, the point is missed. Clearly the overt nature of some of Trump’s remarks are open to the being somewhat, to totally not, directly factual, but again this is the literalist point of view.
With using any specific statement, because the following shows that would not be utile, there is a general overarching view which is useful. Simply, Trump’s comments are “directional.” Even if a statement is totally wrong in content, it is correct in what it emphasizes in relation to a perceived wrong in society, to Trump’s next administration’s policies, and above all, it is directional in that regard in the minds of his supporters who clearly understand what he is saying, taken in that context, that Trump is speaking in a picture language.
Alright I will give an example. If Trump says “millions of illegals will vote in the upcoming elections”, I doubt if many would take that literally. But everyone listening, especially at a stump event, would understand that is directional to the whole problem of illegal immigration and is simply a word picture setting out how bad the border disaster situation is, and he is the only one who can deal with it.
His supporters clearly understand this and have no problem with it and there are no “lies”. Rather the lies lie in the hands and mouths of an opposition who clearly know this, yet continue to perpetrate a charade.
