To the editor:

Although the Nov. 22 “Short Takes” section rightly gave Americans’ dismal ability to distinguish fact from fiction a “Thumbs Down,” it didn’t mention a major contributor to the dismal state of respect for truth in our country: President Donald Trump.

According to The Washington Post, as of Oct. 9, 2019, Trump had made a staggering 13,435 false or misleading claims since assuming office. As if that isn’t bad enough, Trump often labels any news that he doesn’t like or that casts him in a negative light as “fake news.” This is especially rich, since, like something from the mouth of Big Brother in George Orwell’s novel “1984,” Trump has said, “Just remember, what you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.”

Such mind-bending nonsense is not limited to Trump’s lips. Another member of this truth-abhorring administration, Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, also invented the notion of “alternative facts.” Not to be outdone, Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani bizarrely asserted that “truth isn’t truth.”

Disrespect for truth has also been displayed by Trump’s associates for his benefit. For example, Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen is now in federal prison for campaign finance violations and fraud. In fact, according to a Nov. 15, 2019, article by ABC News, Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors have now indicted 34 individuals in the Trump-Russia probe. Those indicted for various falsehoods include Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign official Rick Gates, and Trump’s longtime friend Roger Stone.

If Trump is not impeached and removed from office, I urge all those who value truth to vote against him and any candidate who supports him in 2020. Any candidate who lies, peddles falsehoods, or is willfully ignorant of the truth does not respect basic moral norms and therefore is not worthy of your support.

Brett Gaul

Marshall