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Two newsletters ago I concluded there was no longer even a chance that President Trump would govern with respect for the Constitution or for fundamental principles of ethics. To that point, I had tried to be nonpartisan in my commentary, addressing the problematic ethical behavior and not the person. But Trump’s first four months in office had demonstrated a complete disregard for any ethical norm, instead demonstrating a fixation solely on his own benefit. He has sought to dominate every institution of American life, to use the levers of government to exact revenge on anyone who crosses him, and to shamelessly sell government decisions and access to power to enrich himself. (We now euphemistically say he is completely “transactional.”) My last two newsletters have focused on how he has proven himself corrupt and how he has embraced the tactics and strategies of a tyrant (see here and here). There are two other critical ethical failings (maybe we should call them “the four deadly sins”) that make him the most unethical leader this country has ever experienced. These other two are his deliberate disregard for the truth and his callous contempt for the poor and needy. I will address the first of these in today’s newsletter, and the second in the next. Taken together, these four newsletters will constitute my ethical case against the Trump himself and, therefore, of his administration. I don’t need to remind any reader of this newsletter that Trump has a consistent pattern of using exaggerations, misinterpretations, and deliberate lies to suit his purposes. He has used lies to inflame his MAGA supporters and to blunt any criticism or challenge to his actions. The lies began with his first campaign and ramped up during his first term as president. He called immigrants “rapists and murderers” and hurled so many false accusations at his opponent, Hillary Clinton, that she was overwhelmed trying to respond. Once in office, he made false statements daily, inundating fact-checking websites, and making lying in politics a standard practice. The Washington Post documented 30,573 false or misleading claims during his first presidential term, an average of 21 per day. Many appeared on his social media feeds, particularly his X, or Twitter, account. In his 2024 campaign and after his January 20 inauguration, he has baldly stated or tweeted one lie after another, some carefully planned and others spontaneous in the moment. He repeatedly said President Biden had done nothing to control the borders, while it was Trump himself who sank a carefully construction bipartisan strategy to do that. He said he would deport only criminals and violent persons, but has celebrated deporting many more, including working mothers and fathers whose spouses and children are citizens, and even unaccompanied children. Trump promised he would protect Medicare and Medicaid, then pressed forward with his comprehensive legislation which would eliminate medical care for millions. He said returning control of education and educational benefits to the states would enhance opportunity. However, his “one big beautiful bill” cuts in half the students eligible for Pell Grants which support students who cannot afford the costs of higher education. Trump claimed inflation under the Biden Administration was the highest in American history, which it was not by a wide margin, and that under his administration grocery prices are dramatically down, which they are not. His campaign for higher tariffs is littered with complete falsehoods and economic impossibilities. He claims his attacks on universities are based on their failure to stem antisemitic incidents, but it is clear his actions are designed to cripple institutions he considers too liberal. Lies have become a standard tactic. When a Trump administration figure is accused of misbehavior, Trump immediately sends his press secretary out to accuse the accusers of the exact same behavior. Sometimes his lies are aimed at blunting specific criticism of his administration. In the wake of the Washington D.C. plane crash, he falsely claimed the Biden administration made a last-minute push to hire severely disabled individuals as air traffic controllers. The truth was that a program to hire the disabled was launched during his own first administration. Sometimes he tells lies to justify controversial actions. He falsely claims there is a genocide against white farmers in South Africa to justify letting in white immigrants while blocking and deporting black and brown immigrants. Sometimes Trump’s lies are petty and personal, such as his claims regarding President Biden’s prostate cancer and dementia. But they extend to anyone who has crossed him and therefore ends up as a target. He has been willing to use lies about individuals to advance his goals. He has recently labeled Ruby Bradley, a highly decorated World War II nurse, as “a loser” in order to justify Pentagon action to remove her accomplishments from their website. Trump’s repeated use of lies has spread to members of his cabinet. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has cooperated in purging Pentagon websites and records of the accomplishments of black, brown and female military, as well as past Joint Chiefs Chair Mark Milley. Attorney General Pam Biondi has falsely claimed dramatic progress on fighting fentanyl and has repeatedly falsely accused federal judges of exceeding their powers. The tragedy of Trump’s deliberate use of lies and distortions is that these actions will become increasingly common among political figures, not just by members of his administration today who feel they must follow their leader. And as more politicians lie for their personal advantage, trust in government will further erode. We desperately need politicians who will reverse this trend and put us on course to restore trust in all levels of our government. This deadly sin is doing severe long-term damage to our government and to our society in general.
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