How Many Lies Can Donald Trump Defend in One Interview?

“I can’t be doing so badly, because I’m president, and you’re not.”

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters/ZUMA

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


As President Donald Trump continues to attack the press and cling to baseless wiretapping accusations, a new poll released this week reveals the American public may not accept the president’s version of the truth, with 60 percent of those polled describing Trump as dishonest.

Despite the eroding support, the president appears unfazed, even emboldened, by his critics. When asked by Time about his previous theories, including the unfounded claim that 3 million people voted illegally in the 2016 election, Trump repeatedly refused to relent. “Well I think I will be proved right about that too,” he said in an interview published Thursday.

As for the wiretapping allegations, Trump argued that his widely criticized tweet storm accusing Barack Obama of ordering a wiretap of Trump Tower was acceptable because he used quotations in his social-media posts.

“Because a wiretapping is, you know, today it is different than wiretapping,” he explained. “It is just a good description. But wiretapping was in quotes. What I’m talking about is surveillance.”

But Trump’s most alarming observation occurs at the conclusion of the interview, after he blasts any numbers that contradict his personal statistics (“My statistics are even better.”) In the end, he insists his version of events is the real truth because, after all, he’s sitting in the Oval Office.

Trump tells Time, “Hey look, in the meantime, I guess, I can’t be doing so badly, because I’m president, and you’re not. You know. Say hello to everybody, OK?”

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate