He's gonna be so mad when he sees this. [Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth by The Washington Post Fact Checker Staff]
Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth is based on the only comprehensive compilation and analysis of the more than 16,000 fallacious statements that Trump has uttered since the day of his inauguration. He has repeated many of his most outrageous claims dozens or even hundreds of times as he has sought to bend reality to his political fantasy and personal whim.
Drawing on Trump’s tweets, press conferences, political rallies, and TV appearances, The Washington Post identifies his most frequently used misstatements, biggest whoppers, and most dangerous deceptions. This book unpacks his errant statements about the economy, immigration, the impeachment hearings, foreign policy, and, of critical concern now, the coronavirus crisis as it unfolded.
Fascinating, startling, and even grimly funny, Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth by The Washington Post is the essential, authoritative record of Trump’s shocking disregard for facts.
The Washington Post has built an unparalleled reputation in its coverage of the Special Counsel’s investigation and related topics. The paper’s circulation, prominence, and influence continue to grow.
I have a liberal bias, I don't see any point in denying that, so I expected a bit more of skew in the fact-checking. It's common knowledge the 45th president is a liar, it's a given at this point, but my bias led me to expect, at the very least, stronger wording when it came to calling out his falsehoods. But that is not the place of a fact-checking party. Instead their duty is to impartiality and faithfulness to the truth, no matter what I might want it to be. In Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth, The Washington Post Fact Checker Staff is a loyal steward. Still, the truth speaks for itself.
As surprised as I may have been by which Trump claims were actually truth, I was more surprised that I wasn't aware of the efforts of the WaPo fact checking team and their impact in the political sphere. The whole Pinocchio system is something I would have expected to be more aware of given the political analysts, commentators, politicians, and general political drama I make strides to follow. How politicians have worked to correct statements to avoid getting one and how it must annoy Trump were interesting to learn and imagine respectively.
The truth is not impartial and highlighting it comes with an underlying sass that I imagine reflects the satisfaction of calling out a liar. Sometimes the sass was stylistic, and I very much enjoyed that. Still, the neutral tone was irksome for some reason I can't satisfactorily explain. Maybe, again, it was my bias. Maybe it was the regular contrasting to Obama and his administration, though comparison was inevitable as predecessor and not least of all for the daily referencing Trump himself makes. Maybe it's that impartiality for the sake of neutrality can give the appearance of supporting biased opinion. Who knows?
The progression of the chapters felt natural, building on "lesser" lies to highlight the most egregious. A bit of repetition throughout was not the most engaging however. The last chapter fact checks some of Trump's earlier claims related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Being that the health crisis is ongoing the chapter is predictably shorter in comparison to others, but perhaps one of the most important. As pointed out by the authors, the lasting effects of the Trump administration's neglect and mismanagement of the pandemic on his legacy or any of his achievements are yet untold.
Being that Trump is acutely aware of the efforts of the WaPo fact checking team I wonder how he'll lash out against this publication. This publication will be an important reference in years to come, but especially for the everyday citizen looking to factor in truth in their politicking. 4 stars from me.
Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth is set to be published July 8th, 2020.
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