The Case Against Lying All The Time

One of the most astonishing things about the horrific ICE shooting in Minnesota is how casually and brazenly the President of the United States has lied about something that billions of people can watch for themselves.

Talking to reporters about the murder of Renee Good by one of his goons, Trump said: “She behaved horribly. And then she ran him over. She didn’t try to run him over. She ran him over.”

He then had an aide play one of the videos. By now most readers will have seen them. Renee Good was smiling, told an ICE agent “I’m not mad at you,” and was clearly driving away from the agents, not toward them, when she was shot in the face and killed. Afterward, one of the agents called her a “fucking bitch” and according to witnesses the agents prevented and delayed medical attention.

About this abomination, Vice President J.D. Vance had the following comments: “What the press has done in lying about this innocent law enforcement officer is disgusting. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.” Indeed, the Trump administration has repeatedly defended the shooting, claiming that the victim was “weaponizing” her vehicle. The Department of Homeland “Security” said that the agent, identified as one Jonathan Ross, fired “defensive shots” at a perpetrator of “domestic terrorism.” Remarkable.

Could it be that they did not watch the videos? Might they be thinking that we have not?

I am starting to suspect a pattern of behavior. Once you notice it, it’s everywhere.

Consider, for example, the tariffs case currently before the Supreme Court, which is being asked to block them on the grounds that they are very obviously illegal. Tariffs, which only Congress is supposed to authorize, are taxes paid by American importers and passed on to American consumers.

They are not paid by foreign countries. And yet for months, Trump has insisted otherwise. “China has been paying tariffs to the United States.” “We’re making a fortune with tariffs.” “We’re taking in $2 billion a day.” “China never paid ten cents to any other president, but they paid me hundreds of billions of dollars.”

None of this is true. Trump has been describing an imaginary version of economics in which foreign governments write checks to the American Treasury out of submission. Does he not know? Or is it more lies?

Sometimes the explanation is the simplest one — Occam’s Razor: It’s clear to me that no one ever explained to Trump and his mafia that lying through your teeth to everyone all the time is a bad idea, especially concerning something people can verify instantly.

So, in the spirit of public service, I am offering here that explanation — my Top Ten reasons to consider saying things that are true, as opposed to false.

• • • Because truth can be checked. When there is video, data, or public record, false claims collapse instantly, and you look like a liar.
    • Because governments function only when people believe what they are told. It is easier to manipulate them in such a case.
    • Because the truth gives you credibility, which historically has been useful to people in all walks of life, including politics, on rare occasion.
    • Because evidence either supports a claim or it does not. And the evidence is often made public, in time.
    • Because lies paralyze institutions. No one knows which version of reality to implement. And you are the institution-in-chief.
    • Because dishonesty teaches citizens to distrust everything, including what deserves trust. There is a first time to everything,
    • Because lies isolate leaders from reality. When truth is unwelcome, it stops arriving. Lying to yourself is the saddest lie of all.
    • Because history distinguishes between honest mistakes and deliberate distortion. In time, you will look very bad, and people will say it’s sad.
    • Because public trust is finite, and once spent, it is painfully slow to rebuild.
    • Because lies have to be remembered. Truth simply exists. Lies require maintenance, sequencing, and perfect recall. They are a pain in the neck, requiring memory. Memory is not a thing that improves with age.

• Practical advice for a practical man — in fact, a self-described very stable genius. I offer it free of charge, with the paywall removed, and would ask any reader with connections to the White House to pass it along.