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
- Facebook posts - Trump-era executive order doesn’t prove Joe Biden isn’t the president May 3, 2024An executive order proves President Joe Biden “isn’t real and isn’t president.”
- Facebook posts - Keanu Reeves didn’t reject a ‘woke’ movie offer from Marvel. It’s satire May 3, 2024U.S. News & World Report reported that actor Keanu Reeves rejected a “‘woke’ movie offer.”
- Facebook posts - The ‘happy hacker’ lives. Hamza Bendelladj wasn’t executed May 3, 2024Hacker Hamza Bendelladj was executed.
- Threads posts - Trump wants an Iron Dome, but he didn’t say to defend the United States from Canada May 3, 2024“Donald Trump wants to build an ‘iron dome’ at the border of our country to ‘defend us’ from Canada.”
- Student protesters are calling for divestment from Israel. Here’s what that means. May 3, 2024College student protesters across the U.S. are pressuring universities to divest from Israel in an effort to force a cease-fire in Gaza. But what is divestment, and can it effect large-scale change? We asked experts.
- Facebook posts - No, protesters at Harvard didn’t ‘replace’ the American flag with the Palestinian flag May 3, 2024Video shows “protesters at Harvard replace American flag with Palestinian flag.”
- Joe Biden - Trump told Time that states should decide abortion laws. He didn't say they 'should' punish women. May 3, 2024Former President Donald Trump told Time magazine that “states should monitor women’s pregnancies and prosecute those who violate abortion bans.”
- Donald Trump - A gag order does not prevent Donald Trump from testifying in court May 3, 2024“I’m not allowed to testify” because of a gag order.
- Viral image - HIV doesn’t spread through pools but some online users wrongly claim people are getting infected May 3, 2024Four people “tested positive” after a Texas pool was “infected with AIDS.”
- Fact-checking Trump’s claims about tax cuts, job numbers and inflation in Wisconsin, Michigan May 2, 2024At campaign rallies May 1, former President Donald Trump made misleading statements about tax cuts and jobs filled by immigrants in the U.S. illegally. But he spoke more accurately on the rising costs of food, including chicken.
- Viral image - No, Airbnb isn’t expecting government lockdowns June 6 May 2, 2024“Airbnb is expecting large-scale government actions and lockdowns to begin on June 6, 2024, according to a newly obtained email.”
- Greg Steube - Did the health care of immigrants illegally in the country cost Florida taxpayers $566 million? May 2, 2024Immigrants in the country illegally cost “Florida taxpayers $566 million for 54,000 hospital visits.”
- Kamala Harris - Did Trump say states have the right to monitor, punish women over abortion, as Kamala Harris said? May 2, 2024In his Time magazine interview, Donald Trump “said states have the right to monitor pregnant women to enforce these bans, and states have the right to punish pregnant women for seeking out abortion care.”
- Fact-checking claims that George Soros is ‘paying student radicals’ involved in campus protests May 2, 2024Sharing a New York Post headline, social media users said George Soros paid campus protesters. Soros’ foundation gave grants to some groups involved in the protests, but the money and protesters had several degrees of separation.
- Nancy Pelosi - Nancy Pelosi omits pandemic in singling out job losses under Donald Trump May 2, 2024Former President Donald Trump “has the worst record of job loss of any president.”
- Facebook posts - No, the U.S. military isn’t bracing for deep state cabal protests May 1, 2024As of April 24, “there was active military in 360 U.S. cities awaiting a Supreme Court announcement ‘that will rock the world’ and trigger cabal deep state planned protests.”
- Viral image - This isn’t an authentic TV clip featuring a cure for diabetes (because there is none) May 1, 2024Video shows a “Piers Morgan Uncensored” segment about a remedy that “cures diabetes in two to three weeks.”
- Viral image - No, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez didn’t say the moon is more important than the sun May 1, 2024U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “The moon is more important than the sun as the moon gives us light at night when it is dark out. The sun only gives us light during the day when it is already light out.”
- If Florida’s abortion rights amendment passes, courts will weigh parental consent question May 1, 2024Gov. Ron DeSantis said, if approved, a November ballot initiative will “eliminate” a parental consent law for minors to get abortions. But the law would have to be challenged and would likely be decided by the state’s conservative Supreme Court.
- American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers - A fuel trade group is running false ads saying the EPA banned new gasoline cars May 1, 2024"EPA regulators just banned most new gas-powered cars."