While the truth is out there, many people simply choose not to follow or acknowledge it. They quite literally live in an alternate reality based on alternative facts. The accumulation of alternative facts during Pres. Obama's eight-year tenure have warped reality beyond recognition for a certain segment of US citizens. trump voters overwhelmingly believe in utter falsehoods regarding the unemployment rate, Wall Street, the popular vote, voter fraud, and George Soros' paid-protestor conspiracy theory, according to a report by the Pew Research Center. Smartphones and the internet have ushered in an era in which individuals view only what pleases their biases and fits their narrative. No longer are sources censored, the public is inundated with information and allowed to choose what they want. It is virtually impossible for a society and country to function properly when there is no fixation in objective reality, when we are not grounded by facts.

A perfect example of this manifested itself in trump's unhinged press conference on February 16th, 2017. By any objective or reasonable account, the POTUS was detached from reality, angrily attacking the press and vacillating between positions of incoherence. At one point, he decried Russian involvement in the US election, stating "RUSSIA IS FAKE NEWS!" All in all, it was a delusional diatribe which more-closely resembled the rantings of an unhinged madman than the POTUS. In the parallel conservative news media, however, it was hailed as a success and dignified rebuke of a corrupt press and establishment.

Rush Limbaugh heaped praise on the President, saying "it was masterful. It was the truth. When you've got the truth and when you're telling people the truth of what you really think, you don't have to remember it." He continued on in a quote that personifies appeals to emotion in a post-truth political environment, saying "It's in you heart. You don't need a cram course in what you believe. You don't really need advisers to tell you what to believe. You believe it, it's in your heart, it's in your mind, and you can easily explain it to people."

Fox News' primetime star Sean Hannity wasn't shy in adulating the POTUS for his press conference, portraying the inarticulate stream of consciousness ramblings as a valiant crusade against the "alt-left" media establishment. All across the board, members of the parallel conservative news media structure rose up to praise and adorn trump for his objectively insane press conference. trump deceived and spread disinformation on a variety of subjects ranging from the size of his electoral victory, Russian involvement in the US election, his campaign's ties and connections to Russia, the implementation of the travel ban, and more. He told baseless lies and stated fiction that was demonstrably untrue and flippantly misinformed the public. Based on these falsehoods, describing the press conference as anything other than disturbing and incoherent is objectively false. This isn't a difference of opinion, this is one side defending claims which are false and not true beyond a shadow of a doubt. Millions of Americans, however, were told a completely different depiction of what transpired. The aforementioned examples of conservative media weren't spinning a story or taking a different perspective, they created an alternative reality which was consumed by millions.

Representative Lamar Smith of Texas went a step further, admonishing the public in stating: "Better to get your news directly from the President. In fact, it might be the only way to get the unvarnished truth." As a reminder, Rep. Smith is referring to a man who claims: 1) President Barack Obama is a secret Kenyan Muslim 2) 3-5 million people voted illegally for Hillary Clinton in the election 3) He witnessed large groups of Muslims cheering in the streets on 9/11 4) The media has stopped reporting upon terrorist attacks, among many other patently false and nearly ludicrous statements. Essentially commanding the public to ignore their brains and knowledge, it is disconcerting other members of the government are engaging in such bizarre post-truth behavior.

trump's crusade and attacks against the media are representative of his disdain for the truth. In railing against the mainstream media he is actually fighting against the truth, because the truth isn't beneficial or flattering for him. The obfuscation of the truth rests upon two pillars: 1) the rise and mass-promotion of conservative parallel news media propaganda sites such as Breitbart and InfoWars, and 2) tarnishing and discrediting the "mainstream media" and attacking media sources which criticize or hold the current administration accountable.

The first pillar is flourishing and resides soundly alongside the POTUS in the West Wing of the White House. Steve Bannon is the former head of Breitbart, an openly pro-trump vehicle for white nationalism. He is now the right-hand man of the POTUS and a member of the National Security Council. He even described his website as 'the platform of the alt-right.' He has not stepped down from Breitbart, taking only a thinly veiled leave-of-absence from his propaganda firm. His close proximity to the President and active ideological role in crafting policy raises the spectre of a state propaganda company originating directly from the White House.

The second pillar has been a constant trope of candidate and now President trump. Having waged an unending war against the mainstream media, except Fox News, trump has labeled the media as 'the opposition' and set forth to destroy their credibility amongst US citizens. His fight against the media has only intensified over time and it appears as if he is making progress in his attempt to discredit the media at large. Of course dictators typically target the media in their quest for totalitarianism, and corrupt leaders have existed throughout history. What is remarkable and chilling is how large segments of the US population are in agreement with trump and his demonstrably false statements. What is bothersome and worrying is how there is no anchor to objective reality for tens of millions of citizens. What is deeply problematic is that separate realities exist and events and facts are warped to fit a narrative.