“He's the greatest mythomaniac in history”
In the 19th century, President Lincoln said, “You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.” The saying maxim totally baffles Donald Trump. French historian, Fabrice d'Almeida, puts the Republican candidate's victory into perspective for France Info. In particular, he looks back at a few key dates.
January 20, 2017: Donald Trump is elected President of the United States.
February 20, 2017: the Republican businessman invents an attack in Sweden, immediately denied by the Swedish authorities.
Throughout his presidency, the Republican has, according to the Washington Post, told 30,573 lies, or more than 20 lies a day.
"It's his modus operandi, just like a reflex,” explains Fabrice d'Almeida. "He even created a confidentiality clauses in American sports with his soccer team. He didn't want the sums involved to be known. His legal technique amounts to a lie of omission,” says the French historian.
September 2024: during his debate with his political rival, Kamala Harris, Trump churns out almost 33 pieces of fake news. According to him, Springfield's immigrants feed on the city's dogs and cats, a statement immediately denied by local authorities. The New York Times wrote: “He lies without any limits.” A way of annihilating the truth and blurring all boundaries.
Climatologists, scientists, journalists... he rejects all the constraints of reality (notably those that governed the Covid-19 pandemic). Also according to Fabrice d'Almeida, he enjoys a freedom that the American people (in part) admire, leading the world into a reality that is nothing but a smokescreen. A vast lie that threatens our democracy.
(MH with Manon Pierre - Source : France Info - Picture : Photo by Michel Vadon via Wikicommons licensed under cc_by_2_0)