
Trump absurdly compared war in Afghanistan to renovating a Manhattan restaurant. But even that story was another Trump tall tale that never happened.

In a bizarre and wholly unpresidential meltdown in the White House situation room, Donald Trump threatened to fire top generals in Afghanistan and compared war to a year-long renovation of the "21" Club in Manhattan.

Trump claimed that "21" shut down for a year and hired a pricey consultant to advise on a renovation. This was in the midst of him comparing the "losing" generals in Afghanistan to that consultant.

But, as with so many Trump anecdotes, even that offensive comparison is just another Trump-concocted fantasy.


"Once again, Trump exaggerated another story," the restaurant's former CEO Ken Aretsky told Page Six. "I got a great kick out of reading about Trump’s comparison of our renovation to the war in Afghanistan," he added, "but everything he said is wrong."

Trump's infamous exaggerations — or outright lies — have landed him in humiliating trouble in the past few weeks. He was recently busted for lying about praise from the Boy Scouts that never happened. And about a phone call with the president of Mexico, which also never happened. And about advice from the Pentagon on banning transgender military service, which was news to the Pentagon.

That's on top of Trump's lies about his imaginary friend "Jim," who warned him to stay away from Paris. And a "trucker" friend who complained about the state of American roads and infrastructure.

And his own alter egos, John Barron and John Miller.

And the "thousands" of Muslims in New Jersey dancing in celebration after 9/11, which did not happen.

And the "extremely credible source" who told informed him of ironclad evidence that President Barack Obama's birth certificate was fake.

Trump's incessant lying, about significant stories and about minor details of no consequence, has become a problem for him, even among his base. Americans simply do not trust him or believe the things he says, because so often, the things he said are so quickly proven false.

That the commander in chief of the United States is a known and compulsive liar is a frightening fact that further undermines America and its standing in the world. Even when the lies are about something as seemingly inconsequential as a restaurant remodel.