It is a sad yet irrefutable fact that the president of the United States is a liar.
The only question is whether he is a pathological liar, a non-pathological one, a compulsive liar or just a li’l ole “white liar.”
TYPES OF LIARS
Pathological liars tell compulsive lies without a clear motive. This type of lying is different than nonpathological lying, where the lie is often beneficial in some way.
Pathological lying…may be a sign of an underlying mental health condition, such as a personality disorder.
Pathological liars demonstrate little care for others and tend to be manipulative in other aspects of their life. They lie with such conviction that at times, pathological liars can actually believe the lies they tell. Pathological lying is frequently found in personality disorders such as Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder.
The same source distinguishes pathological liars from compulsive liars: “Compulsive liars have very little control over their lying. They may be saying the same lies as the pathological liar, but their intent is different. Usually compulsive liars lie out of habit.”
There are several other classifications and sub-classifications of liars. For example one source lists under “compulsive liars” narcissistic liars and habitual liars. “Then there are sociopathic liars who lack empathy…do not care if the lies they state impact others negatively or even actively cause harm…can be narcissistic and super charming…are master manipulators.”
WHERE TRUMP FITS
The fact that one can pick elements from each of the above definitions to describe the disorder(s) afflicting Trump is disturbing enough.
For a president and commander in chief to lie with such conviction that he actually believes the lies he tells can be downright dangerous — or just plain ludicrous.
We’ll save the dangerous part for another time. There will be plenty of occasions, provided we survive them.
TRUMPS’ MOST RECENT LIE CONSPIRACY THEORY
Trump’s most recent — we’ll be generous — “conspiracy theory” certainly belongs in the “just ludicrous” category.
It was ludicrous enough for even one of his most ardent supporters, Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, to appear incredulous during a recent interview.
And when, a couple of days later, Trump doubled down on the conspiracy adding, subtracting and changing a few more details it proved another attribute of prolific liars: the difficulty in keeping their lies straight. Such has to be near-impossible for a person who has made more than 20,000 false or misleading claims.
This is a combination of Trump’s various remarks about “thugs on a plane.”
We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend — and there were like seven people on the plane like this person, and then a lot of people were on the plane to do big damage… [no],there were about six people like that person, more or less… and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that. The entire plane filled up with the looters, the anarchists, rioters, people looking for trouble… flying to DC to disrupt the Republican National Convention. [No, on second thought] this was a plane going from Washington to wherever…
When Ingraham asked Trump “where is this?” Trump replied, “I’ll tell you sometime, but it’s under investigation right now.”
I am sure Trump will explain it all honestly when the “investigation” is completed.
POST-MISSION CRITIQUE
But here at TMV, we don’t need to wait because Jonathan Chait at New York Magazine – Intelligencer has found a secret source –“Deep Loot” — “highly placed within a top anarchist organization” who has spilled the beans.
And boy, is Deep Loot pissed that Trump discovered the plot and he (or she) blames it all on the fact that the looters, anarchists, and rioters broke every rule in the anarchist book.
For example, Deep Loot claims:
First, if you’re organizing a looting trip, you don’t want to travel by plane. Because once you collect all the loot, how are you going to haul it away? You’re gonna check it in your luggage? Walk onboard planes with a flat-screen under each arm? I always teach them to go by van, truck, something that can haul loot. It’s Looting 101
As to Trump’s confusion about the direction the team was flying, Deep Loot once again places the blame on the team: “No, they flew round trip and were spotted on both legs of the trip. Just terrible work all around.”
For a more in-depth (satirical) post-mission analysis please click HERE.
Perhaps one day we’ll learn the real truth, which I am sure will not come from Deep Loot nor from Trump.
CODA:
Adding to “the most high-profile piece of speculation” by Trump, Fox News has a meandering and, yes, speculative article claiming Trump “is far from the first elected official to say rioters may be organized and traveling for the purpose of instigating unrest.” Read it HERE
