Over 50 years ago George Orwell wrote a great essay entitled "politics in the English language". The essay demonstrated how politician used language to obfiscate what they were up to.Later he followed up with 1984 where lying took the place of obfiscation.
Today, at his you should excuse the expression press conference Donald Trump was engaged in step one. When it came to the intelligence report, he either refuse to answer or simply attacked the press for reporting. He also refused to let CNN ask a question. At this point, there is no question that Trump will double down on his mendacious ways and continue to attack journalists who accurately report what he says and does. Most of the heavy lifting in this effort will be done by his surrogates, spokesman, apologists and strategists. This group will neither cease nor repent.
Journalists need to see they are in a war. They need to be as blunt and direct as is Donald Trump when he attacks them. Every day they need to report every new misstatement, Falsehood and inconsistency. They need to hammer at the implausibility of his promises and what he is actually doing that is inconsistent.
Yesterday Carl Bernstein, a real journalist, called Kellyanne the Minister of propaganda. David Brooks last week remarked that Trump continued to be distracted by bright or shiny objects. It is necessary to belittle and make fun of Donald Trump because it is all that he understands. He also is so thin-skinned that he cannot stand it and will it expose himself increasingly as the fool he is.
This is a sad state of affairs but it calls for realism. Absent some epiphany, the Trump we have seen and are seeing is what we are going to get.
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