Tag: falsehoods

Why mass deportations are costly and hurt the economy

The following article by Mark Humphery-Jenner was posted on the Conversation website February 27, 2017:

Charles Reed/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/AP

President Donald Trump has pledged to deport several million undocumented immigrants and recently set a plan in motion targeting those with criminal records (of any kind).

While the ethical issues with mass deportations have received lots of attention, the economics haven’t been explored as comprehensively. And the costs of mass deportations will likely be significant.

These include the impact on economic growth and the labor force, which have received some coverage, but there are several other factors that ought to be considered, such as the debts and dependents left behind by those deported and the costs of giving them the boot.

Undocumented immigrants and debt

To start with undocumented immigrants are able to amass debt in the U.S., and being deported makes it less likely they’ll honor it. This imposes risks on the financial system and on lenders in particular. Continue reading “Why mass deportations are costly and hurt the economy”

The Three Most Dangerous Trump Lies

The following article was posted on the TrumpAccountable.org website February 27, 2017:

President Trump at a news conference in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 16, 2017.

Donald Trump’s affiliation with the truth throughout his presidential campaign, and his career in business, has been called into question repeatedly. And a recent piece in the Huffington Post claims that Trump’s administration has reached the unenviable “100 lie” mark faster than any previous administration.

Most of the lies that Trump or his representatives have told are exaggerations or overstatements and many, like his repeated claims about inauguration crowd size or how much golf he plays, are not directly relevant to policy or decisions that have an impact on Americans. We could argue that ANY dishonesty from elected officials is important to explore and address – and minor exaggerations or boastful claims have brought down previous politicians. But three of President Trump’s lies are of particular concern because they indicate specific weaknesses or policy issues that are important for the country. Continue reading “The Three Most Dangerous Trump Lies”

Michael Flynn Scandal Shatters GOP Dream Of Protecting Trump In “Alternative Fact” Cocoon

The following article by Eric Boehlert was posted on the Media Matters website February 15, 2017:

With the White House facing perhaps the most serious political crisis of its young life, Kellyanne Conway was dispatched on Tuesday to spin as best she could the sudden forced resignation of President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

But the effort didn’t go well because Conway wasn’t really able to address even the most basic questions surrounding the Flynn controversy. And that inability came five days after The Washington Post first reported that Flynn “privately discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador to the United States during the month before President Trump took office, contrary to public assertions by Trump officials,” including past statements by Vice President Mike Pence, and possibly in violation of U.S. law.  Continue reading “Michael Flynn Scandal Shatters GOP Dream Of Protecting Trump In “Alternative Fact” Cocoon”

A ‘Spicy’ Memoir: How To Lie With A Straight Face

The following article by Carl Hiaasen was posted on the National Memo website February 15, 2017:

Anonymously mass-mailed proposal for a blockbuster new book:

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Dear [fill in name of editor],

As you devour the explosive details of this book manuscript, you’ll understand why I need to withhold my identity at this time. Continue reading “A ‘Spicy’ Memoir: How To Lie With A Straight Face”

Trump just gave a remarkable new interview. Here’s a tally of all his lies.

The following article by Greg Sargent was posted on the Washington Post website January 26, 2017:

THE MORNING PLUM:

Donald Trump sat down for an interview with ABC News that aired last night, in what was his first major one-on-one with a network as president. Let’s tally up the lies and distortions, one by one:

1) Trump repeated his false claim that there was rampant voter fraud in the election, and when pressed on the fact that his claim has repeatedly been debunked, Trump said: “No it hasn’t. Take a look at the Pew reports.”

The Pew report that Trump is citing did not show what Trump claims it did. The author of that report has repeatedly stated this in numerous interviews. Continue reading “Trump just gave a remarkable new interview. Here’s a tally of all his lies.”

In his first major TV interview as president, Trump is endlessly obsessed with his popularity

The following article by Jenna Johnson was posted on the Washington Post website January 26, 2016:

The way President Trump tells it, the meandering, falsehood-filled, self-involved speech that he gave at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters was one of the greatest addresses ever given.

“That speech was a home run,” Trump told ABC News just a few minutes into his first major television interview since moving into the White House. “See what Fox said. They said it was one of the great speeches. They showed the people applauding and screaming. … I got a standing ovation. In fact, they said it was the biggest standing ovation since Peyton Manning had won the Super Bowl, and they said it was equal. I got a standing ovation. It lasted for a long period of time.” Continue reading “In his first major TV interview as president, Trump is endlessly obsessed with his popularity”

Trump’s disregard for the truth threatens his ability to govern

The following article by Karen Tumulty was posted on the Washington Post website January 24, 2017:

Donald Trump, having propelled his presidential campaign to victory while often disregarding the truth, now is testing the proposition that he can govern the country that way.

In the first five days of his presidency, Trump has put the enormous power of the nation’s highest office behind spurious — and easily disproved — claims. Continue reading “Trump’s disregard for the truth threatens his ability to govern”

The sorest winner of all time cannot stop whining

The following article by James Hohmann with Breanne Deppisch was posted on the Washington Post website January 24, 2017:

President Donald Trump meets with business leaders at the White House yesterday. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

THE BIG IDEA: Somebody call the wambulance. Donald Trump needs a box of Kleenex for all the whining he’s doing.

Just like his campaign, the first days of his presidency have been animated and defined by grievance.

At a White House reception last night to discuss his 2017 agenda, Trump devoted the first 10 minutes to rehashing the 2016 campaign. The commander-in-chief told a bipartisan group of congressional leaders that between 3 million and 5 million illegal votes caused him to lose the popular vote.

That is a ludicrously false claim, and this is not hyperbole: Trump is the sorest winner in American history. Continue reading “The sorest winner of all time cannot stop whining”

White House Vows To Fight Media ‘Tooth And Nail’ Over (Accurate) Coverage

The following article by Doina Chiacu and Jason Lange with Reuters was posted on the National Memo website January 22, 2017:

REUTERS/J. Scott Applewhite/Pool

The White House vowed on Sunday to fight the news media “tooth and nail” over what it sees as unfair attacks, with a top adviser saying the Trump administration had presented “alternative facts” to counter low inauguration crowd estimates.

On his first full day as president, Trump said he had a “running war” with the media and accused journalists of underestimating the number of people who turned out Friday for his swearing-in.

White House officials made clear no truce was on the horizon on Sunday in television interviews that set a much harsher tone in the traditionally adversarial relationship between the White House and the press corps. Continue reading “White House Vows To Fight Media ‘Tooth And Nail’ Over (Accurate) Coverage”