Donald Trump's big lies: How millions of Americans were radicalized.

[CousinIT]

https://www.salon.com/2021/01/28/donald-trumps-big-lies-how-millions-of-americans-were-radicalized/

. . .

Trump's three Big Lies — individually and in combination — defined his presidency. His idea of governing was to use propaganda to solidify his grip on power. But more than that, his "Big Lies" reflected his anti-democratic and anti-American beliefs. Trump does not love democracy and does not love our country.

There were many Big Lies spread by Trump during his tenure. His claims that Robert Mueller's investigation was a hoax was a Big Lie. His "perfect" call with the Ukrainian president was a Big Lie. His claim that he would save protections for pre-existing conditions in health care coverage was a Big Lie. In fact, it has been shown that Trump lied more than 30,000 times in four years.

It is undeniable that Trump's plan was to ride his Big Lies into a dictatorship. He is an authoritarian at heart. He is a fascist in his thinking and in his impulses.

Trump's plan was to activate an anti-democratic movement in the country. The way he connected with millions of supporters was through his Big Lies. That was his hook to capture the attention and irrational passion of his supporters. He was the pied piper of Big Lies.

The Republican Party has been complicit with Donald Trump for four years and counting. They have supported his anti-democratic and anti-American Big Lies. Until and unless the party extricates itself from Trump, millions of Americans will continue to believe in their cult leader and his Big Lies.

Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley and many others must change course and condemn Donald Trump. They must correct the Big Lies — and to this point there is no sign they will do so. If they don't, they will take the Republican Party down a rabbit hole of darkness, doom and failure.

Here is what should be verbalized by every single Republican: "I condemn Donald Trump. The election was not stolen. He completely botched the response to the pandemic. The free press is crucial to our democracy. The Republican Party needs new leadership to maintain our democracy." Members of Congress who cannot make this statement openly and loudly should be expelled. Yes, this should be a litmus test for our democracy. Democracy cannot truly prevail until Trump and his Big Lies are renounced and defeated. His anti-democratic rhetoric, behavior and intentions cannot continue to circulate like a metastasizing cancer. Trump's propaganda agenda is still alive. His Big Lies must be repudiated before any healing and unity are even possible.

[dchill]

1. Also; Fox News.

[Dustlawyer]

2. Yes, until the RW media is reigned in from telling outright falsehoods the Republican Party

believes they cannot come clean. Fox has decided to double down to stop the bleeding of their viewers to OAN and Newsmax. The Repugs are afraid they will be without a base otherwise.

They created this monster and lost control of it!

[JHB]

3. The Republican base was radicalized and eating up Big Lies years before Trump

Limbaugh, Gingrich, Starr, Bush & Cheney, Hannity, O'Reiley, Beck, Coulter, Ingraham, D'Sousa, etc. etc. etc. Big Liars all, but Trump was simply the "no mind" version. They'd fertilized the ground for him for a generation.

Remember the clown car of the 2012 primaries? One "not Mitt" candidate rising to favor for something they said then falling out of favor for something else they said, one after another. Trump just made sure to secure that right off the bat.