At the end of 2017, one year into the Trump presidency, the familiar begins to escape us.
The Autocrat's Language
"Using words to lie destroys language. Using words to cover up lies, however subtly, destroys language. Validating incomprehensible drivel with polite reaction also destroys language. This isn’t merely a question of the prestige of the writing art or the credibility of the journalistic trade: it is about the basic survival of the public sphere.
In Russia, first they came for the words of politics, value, and passion. Then they came for the words of action, the words that describe buildings, the numbers that denote dates. And then there were no words left to speak. Not that this is a Russian phenomenon.
Here is what Confucius had to say on the topic:
If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what must be done remains undone; if this remains undone, morals and art will deteriorate; if justice goes astray, the people will stand about in helpless confusion. Hence there must be no arbitrariness in what is said. This matters above everything."
-- Masha Gessen, The Autocrat's Language, NYRDaily
What Donald Trump Says
- Instagram posts - 2016 death not connected to false sex trafficking claims about Clintons March 15, 2024Monica Petersen was assassinated in Haiti while she was investigating the Clintons’ child trafficking.
- Cavalier Johnson - Milwaukee Mayor Johnson says the city “never defunded the police.” Is he right? March 15, 2024In Milwaukee, we “never defunded the police.”
- Brian Kilmeade - Who owns TikTok’s parent company? Despite what Brian Kilmeade says, it's not the Chinese government March 15, 2024The Chinese government “owns” TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance.
- Instagram posts - Migrants in parole program do not receive free flights to the US March 15, 2024“300,000 illegal immigrants were able to use a simple app to get a free flight to our country.”
- Donald Trump - Donald Trump is wrong. Joe Biden doesn’t have an ‘immunity from deportation’ policy. March 15, 2024“Biden has implemented a formal policy that illegal aliens who intrude into the United States are granted immunity from deportation.”
- TikTok posts - No, la ley propuesta en Canadá no prohíbe el cristianismo ni criminaliza las citas bíblicas March 15, 2024“En Canadá quieren pasar una ley llamada C-367 donde las personas que son cristianas o practican cierta religión pueden ir preso”.
- Four years after shelter-in-place, COVID-19 misinformation persists March 15, 2024Four years since the pandemic’s onset, COVID-19 misinformation centers primarily on the vaccines, which multiple studies show have saved lives. But persistent misinformation about their safety has left experts worried about vaccine willingness for other diseases.
- Instagram posts - A California loan program for first time homebuyers does not apply only to “illegals” March 15, 2024Only immigrants in the country illegally are eligible for an interest-free California housing loan program.
- X posts - Hopping to conclusions? No, Easter has not been ‘replaced’ with Transgender Day of Visibility March 14, 2024“Trans activists replaced Easter with the Transgender Day of Visibility.”
- Ron DeSantis - Ron DeSantis said Citizens Property Insurance ‘is not solvent.’ That’s misleading. March 14, 2024Citizens Property Insurance “is not solvent.”
- Facebook posts - A potential TikTok ban passed the U.S. House, but the legislation’s future is uncertain March 14, 2024As of March 13, they “really just banned TikTok … we got 6 months left to use it.”
- Can you ‘say gay’ in Florida schools? Explaining new settlement over LGBTQ+ ‘instruction’ March 14, 2024Both LGBTQ+ advocates and conservatives are declaring victory after a settlement over the Florida law that critics and some media dubbed “don’t say gay.” Here’s what you need to know.
- Instagram posts - It takes longer than 24 hours to count presidential election votes, despite claim to the contrary March 14, 2024The 2020 election was the only time in American history that an election took more than 24 hours to count.
- Eric Hovde - Are GOP Senate candidate's claims about national debt under Biden, Baldwin correct? March 14, 2024“Since the end of the 2020 fiscal year, President Biden and Senator Baldwin have added over $7.3 trillion of debt, more than the first 228 years of our nation’s history combined.”
- Viral image - No, a ‘nasty photo’ of first lady Jill Biden wasn’t leaked March 13, 2024“Nasty photo of Jill Biden leaks.”
- Facebook posts - Social media post makes baseless claims about Albert Einstein, others March 13, 2024“Albert Einstein was a transgender.”
- Facebook posts - Trump didn’t secure his $91.6 million bond in E. Jean Carroll case from a Russian company March 13, 2024A Russian company secured Trump’s bond in E. Jean Carroll case.
- Social media accounts use AI-generated audio to push 2024 election misinformation March 13, 2024Social media accounts are using artificial intelligence-generated audio to push false 2024 election claims. PolitiFact talked to experts about how this technology is affecting the information landscape and how to detect it.
- MAGA Inc - MAGA Inc. ad cuts off Biden’s criticism of Trump's Russia, NATO remarks, making him appear lost March 13, 2024President Joe Biden said “do whatever the hell they want,” paused, and then said, “I guess I should clear my mind here a little bit.”
- Facebook posts - Nancy Pelosi was not behind Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack, despite repeated debunked claims March 13, 2024Nancy Pelosi is responsible for Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.