By Wayne Mones

Grasmere

That Donald Trump has a peculiar relationship with truth is something that should set off alarm bells for every American, because his misinformation and lies poison democracy. Lies rob government of the credibility and legitimacy that democratic institutions need to function.

To be clear, truth is supported by evidence. Although news reported by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Staten Island Advance, CNN, Fox, or the Daily News may all have a political bias, it is news. Fake news is just propaganda. There is no verifiable evidence to back it up.

When Donald Trump says things that aren't true he is doing many things at the same time. He is revealing both his ignorance and that he gets his news from questionable sources. He is putting on a show and throwing red meat to his base. He is bullying us into accepting his voice as the sole arbiter of reality. When Trump denies saying things that he said at a rally or on television, he is lying. When he attacks the media for spreading "fake news," he is bullying the media into accepting his lies, and whipping up anger against the media among his supporters. This is extremely dangerous behavior.

When President Trump comments about a terrorist attack that never happened, or proclaims that inauguration day was sunny (it was, in fact, raining), or says that our GDP "might be zero" (which is an impossibility), or that unemployment "might be as high as 45%" and then defends himself by saying something like, "well that's what I heard," or "that's the information I was given," we should all be horrified. Of course, we all occasionally repeat things that aren't true. We are human. However, those of us who aren't crazy don't lie deliberately every single day.

We should be concerned because lies have very real consequences. When Bush (43) lied to justify invading Iraq, we got ISIS rather than the safety he promised. When Bill Clinton lied under oath, he undermined the credibility and the legitimacy of the presidency. When Nixon lied about Watergate, he ignited a constitutional crisis. When Donald Trump lies he sounds more like Kim Jong-un or Mussolini, or Stalin than like an American president. Dictatorships are built on lies. Democracy depends on truth.

Republicans in congress know that Trump is a liar. Now that he is president, Republicans in congress believe they can put up with a certain amount of wild behavior because it will allow them to advance a legislative agenda. They are wrong. The price of turning their backs on the truth is too high. The price of you and I turning our backs is too high. Much too high.