Story highlights Frida Ghitis: Trump's spewing of falsehoods creates very real risk for U.S. security and authority in the world

Ghitis points to the White House's apology to Britain for Sean Spicer saying British intelligence helped Obama spy on Trump

Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for The Miami Herald and World Politics Review, and a former CNN producer and correspondent. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. This commentary has been updated from an earlier version.

(CNN) Donald Trump's peculiar relationship with the truth -- his penchant for promoting unfounded stories and conspiracies theories -- represents not just a curious quirk or a character flaw. They are a much-practiced technique that has paid dividends as self-promotion in his business career and in his political rise. Over decades spent in the company of yes men and yes women, he has been able to fire off nonsense without question or rebuke.

But now he is President Trump, and his breezy spewing of falsehoods has become a national embarrassment --a threat to U.S. security and America's standing in the world.

White House officials have just had to apologize to the United Kingdom for smearing the British intelligence agency by making false statements . This is a sign of things to come.

Indeed questions about Trump's wiretapping allegations against Barack Obama, and Press Secretary Sean Spicer's regurgitation of Fox News commentary, came up during Trump's press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday--further evidence that the rest of the world is paying attention. He took no responsibility and said if there were questions about the allegation, people should ask Fox News about it.

What should concern every citizen is that Trump's crumbling credibility will not be limited to him. America itself is losing credibility. If the president of the United States cannot be taken at his word, America's arguments on the global stage will be easily dismissed. This will have profound and very specific consequences as the country faces new and old challenges, which will require the support of other nations.

Read More