The irony in the controversy over whether Russia has or has sought kompromat on Trump is that Trump has dabbled in deploying kompromat himself. His false claim while feuding last fall with a former Miss Universe that the woman had made a sex tape was a classic example. His years-long campaign to convince the public that President Obama was not born in the United States echoed the idea of kompromat; he constantly claimed to have material that proved the president was lying about his birthplace. He never produced any, and he walked away from the charge last fall, telling a new lie — that Clinton had started the birther movement — in the process. When challenged, Trump has a tendency to attack the questioner rather than answer the question. That leaves journalists trying to fill in the gaps, but it also means coverage of his outrageous comments draws attention away from critical reporting on Trump or his lack of policy specifics. By impugning individuals, Trump was able to dominate the news cycle in both the primary and general-election campaigns, shifting focus from his weaknesses by attacking others.