Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fraud falsehoods
01/26/17 08:00 AM—UPDATED 01/26/17 08:42 AM
By Steve Benen
Why in the world does Donald Trump believe millions of illegal v**es were cast in the p**********l e******n? The New York Times reported overnight on the evidence the new president presented to congressional leaders during a meeting earlier this week. In many respects, this one story tells you practically everything you need to know about Donald Trump.
As the Times’ Glenn Thrush reported, the president, resentful about coming in second in the popular v**e, repeated the delusional idea that he secretly came in first after accounting for v**es from undocumented immigrants. When Democrats at the meeting balked, Trump shared his proof: an anecdote he heard from Bernhard Langer, a professional golfer the president characterized as a friend.
The witnesses described the story this way: Mr. Langer, a 59-year-old native of Bavaria, Germany – a winner of the Masters twice and of more than 100 events on major professional golf tours around the world – was standing in line at a polling place near his home in Florida on E******n Day, the president explained, when an official informed Mr. Langer he would not be able to v**e.
Ahead of and behind Mr. Langer were v**ers who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e, Mr. Trump said, according to the staff members – but they were nonetheless permitted to cast provisional b****ts. The president threw out the names of Latin American countries that the v**ers might have come from.
The story was reportedly greeted with silence from congressional leaders. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus quickly encouraged Trump to change the subject.
Why is this the perfect Donald Trump story? Because it checks so many boxes: Trump got to brag about knowing a celebrity, who shared a bizarre and racially charged anecdote, which the president believed because he lacks anything resembling critical-thinking sk**ls, which then led the president to concoct a broader conspiracy theory about immigrants, which in turn helped soothe Trump’s bruised and unhealthy ego.
Rachel described the story as “insane,” which it clearly is. It’s also Donald J. Trump in a nutshell.
The closer one looks at the details, the crazier the story becomes. It turns out, Bernhard Langer’s family says he’s not friends with Trump, and in an ironic twist, the golfer is a German citizen who can’t legally v**e anyway. (Whether Langer actually tried to cast an illegal b****t is unclear; it’s possible Trump just made-up the entire scenario.)
What’s more, the Times’ article quoted White House sources saying Langer wasn’t the v**er in question, but rather, he shared an anecdote with Trump about someone he knows.
In other words, the president believes undocumented immigrants cast in upwards of 5 million v**es last year in part because of a story he heard second-hand from a German golfer about people “who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e” because of their skin color.
Trump not only accepted all of this at face value, he’s also prepared to use the machinery of the federal government to pursue imaginary fraud because of the anecdote.
This man is now the Leader of the Free World.
I’m reminded anew of something Vox’s Ezra Klein wrote in March: “Among the most important tasks the president has is knowing what to believe, whom to listen to, which facts to trust, and which theories to explore. Trump’s terrible judgment in this regard is one of the many reasons he’s not qualified for the office.”
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to wonder if the president’s issues are gradually getting worse.
permafrost wrote:
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fraud falsehoods
01/26/17 08:00 AM—UPDATED 01/26/17 08:42 AM
By Steve Benen
Why in the world does Donald Trump believe millions of illegal v**es were cast in the p**********l e******n? The New York Times reported overnight on the evidence the new president presented to congressional leaders during a meeting earlier this week. In many respects, this one story tells you practically everything you need to know about Donald Trump.
As the Times’ Glenn Thrush reported, the president, resentful about coming in second in the popular v**e, repeated the delusional idea that he secretly came in first after accounting for v**es from undocumented immigrants. When Democrats at the meeting balked, Trump shared his proof: an anecdote he heard from Bernhard Langer, a professional golfer the president characterized as a friend.
The witnesses described the story this way: Mr. Langer, a 59-year-old native of Bavaria, Germany – a winner of the Masters twice and of more than 100 events on major professional golf tours around the world – was standing in line at a polling place near his home in Florida on E******n Day, the president explained, when an official informed Mr. Langer he would not be able to v**e.
Ahead of and behind Mr. Langer were v**ers who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e, Mr. Trump said, according to the staff members – but they were nonetheless permitted to cast provisional b****ts. The president threw out the names of Latin American countries that the v**ers might have come from.
The story was reportedly greeted with silence from congressional leaders. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus quickly encouraged Trump to change the subject.
Why is this the perfect Donald Trump story? Because it checks so many boxes: Trump got to brag about knowing a celebrity, who shared a bizarre and racially charged anecdote, which the president believed because he lacks anything resembling critical-thinking sk**ls, which then led the president to concoct a broader conspiracy theory about immigrants, which in turn helped soothe Trump’s bruised and unhealthy ego.
Rachel described the story as “insane,” which it clearly is. It’s also Donald J. Trump in a nutshell.
The closer one looks at the details, the crazier the story becomes. It turns out, Bernhard Langer’s family says he’s not friends with Trump, and in an ironic twist, the golfer is a German citizen who can’t legally v**e anyway. (Whether Langer actually tried to cast an illegal b****t is unclear; it’s possible Trump just made-up the entire scenario.)
What’s more, the Times’ article quoted White House sources saying Langer wasn’t the v**er in question, but rather, he shared an anecdote with Trump about someone he knows.
In other words, the president believes undocumented immigrants cast in upwards of 5 million v**es last year in part because of a story he heard second-hand from a German golfer about people “who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e” because of their skin color.
Trump not only accepted all of this at face value, he’s also prepared to use the machinery of the federal government to pursue imaginary fraud because of the anecdote.
This man is now the Leader of the Free World.
I’m reminded anew of something Vox’s Ezra Klein wrote in March: “Among the most important tasks the president has is knowing what to believe, whom to listen to, which facts to trust, and which theories to explore. Trump’s terrible judgment in this regard is one of the many reasons he’s not qualified for the office.”
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to wonder if the president’s issues are gradually getting worse.
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fr... (
show quote)
Millions of illegal v**es were cast for the Clinton Pig.
If the president wants to investigate it, it's his privilege to do so.
I personally don't need any proof, since the Clinton Pig lost anyway.
permafrost wrote:
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fraud falsehoods
01/26/17 08:00 AM—UPDATED 01/26/17 08:42 AM
By Steve Benen
Why in the world does Donald Trump believe millions of illegal v**es were cast in the p**********l e******n? The New York Times reported overnight on the evidence the new president presented to congressional leaders during a meeting earlier this week. In many respects, this one story tells you practically everything you need to know about Donald Trump.
As the Times’ Glenn Thrush reported, the president, resentful about coming in second in the popular v**e, repeated the delusional idea that he secretly came in first after accounting for v**es from undocumented immigrants. When Democrats at the meeting balked, Trump shared his proof: an anecdote he heard from Bernhard Langer, a professional golfer the president characterized as a friend.
The witnesses described the story this way: Mr. Langer, a 59-year-old native of Bavaria, Germany – a winner of the Masters twice and of more than 100 events on major professional golf tours around the world – was standing in line at a polling place near his home in Florida on E******n Day, the president explained, when an official informed Mr. Langer he would not be able to v**e.
Ahead of and behind Mr. Langer were v**ers who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e, Mr. Trump said, according to the staff members – but they were nonetheless permitted to cast provisional b****ts. The president threw out the names of Latin American countries that the v**ers might have come from.
The story was reportedly greeted with silence from congressional leaders. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus quickly encouraged Trump to change the subject.
Why is this the perfect Donald Trump story? Because it checks so many boxes: Trump got to brag about knowing a celebrity, who shared a bizarre and racially charged anecdote, which the president believed because he lacks anything resembling critical-thinking sk**ls, which then led the president to concoct a broader conspiracy theory about immigrants, which in turn helped soothe Trump’s bruised and unhealthy ego.
Rachel described the story as “insane,” which it clearly is. It’s also Donald J. Trump in a nutshell.
The closer one looks at the details, the crazier the story becomes. It turns out, Bernhard Langer’s family says he’s not friends with Trump, and in an ironic twist, the golfer is a German citizen who can’t legally v**e anyway. (Whether Langer actually tried to cast an illegal b****t is unclear; it’s possible Trump just made-up the entire scenario.)
What’s more, the Times’ article quoted White House sources saying Langer wasn’t the v**er in question, but rather, he shared an anecdote with Trump about someone he knows.
In other words, the president believes undocumented immigrants cast in upwards of 5 million v**es last year in part because of a story he heard second-hand from a German golfer about people “who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e” because of their skin color.
Trump not only accepted all of this at face value, he’s also prepared to use the machinery of the federal government to pursue imaginary fraud because of the anecdote.
This man is now the Leader of the Free World.
I’m reminded anew of something Vox’s Ezra Klein wrote in March: “Among the most important tasks the president has is knowing what to believe, whom to listen to, which facts to trust, and which theories to explore. Trump’s terrible judgment in this regard is one of the many reasons he’s not qualified for the office.”
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to wonder if the president’s issues are gradually getting worse.
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fr... (
show quote)
There will likely be a new rule requiring psych evaluations for P**********l candidates. Too little too late to be sure, but it would have narrowed the field last year by a factor of 5. It is only a matter of time before the myriad psychosis of Trump becomes too difficult to spin away. Mike Pence needs an exam as well, because you've got to a bit "touched" to agree to front a crazy person for President. Is the GOP that desperate? that they'd put the country through all this, just to gain power?
lpnmajor wrote:
There will likely be a new rule requiring psych evaluations for P**********l candidates. Too little too late to be sure, but it would have narrowed the field last year by a factor of 5. It is only a matter of time before the myriad psychosis of Trump becomes too difficult to spin away. Mike Pence needs an exam as well, because you've got to a bit "touched" to agree to front a crazy person for President. Is the GOP that desperate? that they'd put the country through all this, just to gain power?
There will likely be a new rule requiring psych ev... (
show quote)
It very much appears the GOP is that desperate..
permafrost wrote:
It very much appears the GOP is that desperate..
Yeah, that explains the frenzy to do as much damage as quickly as possible, before the people rise up and say "that's enough!". They don't seem to realize ( or care ) that the majority of Americans are not Republicans or conservatives. Look for swift efforts to consolidate power, gerrymandering to ensure continued re-e******n and laws making it more difficult to get rid of State/Federal lawmakers.
If nothing else, this years bulls**t may get the masses off their asses and into the polling booths next year - and start cleaning the swamp themselves - for realz this time. Republicans and Democrats have got to go, as well as Trump and his N**i cabinet.
oldroy
Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)
Wolf counselor wrote:
Millions of illegal v**es were cast for the Clinton Pig.
If the president wants to investigate it, it's his privilege to do so.
I personally don't need any proof, since the Clinton Pig lost anyway.
You just stated the t***h on this subject. If Trump wants to investigate the numbers of i*****l a***ns who v**ed it is his right as the head of our government. The left media is trying very hard to avoid any investigation and that tells me something about how they lean. This thread is based on the writing of Steve Benen who writes on a number of lefty blogs, for Media Matters, about as far left as you can get, for MSNBC and others. I just can't find anything he writes for that isn't pretty far left. For those here who don't know Media Matters was formed with Soros money and ordered to do as much damage to President Bush as they could but mostly to destroy Fox News.
It seems that Permafrost just can't get away from people like Benen and I am sure we all know the reason.
oldroy
Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)
lpnmajor wrote:
Yeah, that explains the frenzy to do as much damage as quickly as possible, before the people rise up and say "that's enough!". They don't seem to realize ( or care ) that the majority of Americans are not Republicans or conservatives. Look for swift efforts to consolidate power, gerrymandering to ensure continued re-e******n and laws making it more difficult to get rid of State/Federal lawmakers.
If nothing else, this years bulls**t may get the masses off their asses and into the polling booths next year - and start cleaning the swamp themselves - for realz this time. Republicans and Democrats have got to go, as well as Trump and his N**i cabinet.
Yeah, that explains the frenzy to do as much damag... (
show quote)
What party do the majority of our nation belong to? I ask you that because the GOP won so many seats in Congress, governorships, legislative seats all over the nation. Did all those people get elected on Trump's coattails?
As for gerrymandering isn't it the state legislative bodies who do that? Do you really understand what gerrymandering is? It doesn't sound like it
You are a poet and apparently don't know it. "Get the masses off their asses". The problem here is that people go to polling places to v**e and you seem to be equating polling with the "studies" that caused so much trouble for the Democrats this year. I could have told you people what was going to happen when people went to their polling places to v**e because I really don't pay a lot of attention to any polls other than those at Rasmussen.
There is another thread on the forum about the formation of anybody but white people from the Democrat Party. Look it up and get involved there so you can see what some want to see happen to the Democrats.
oldroy
Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)
permafrost wrote:
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fraud falsehoods
01/26/17 08:00 AM—UPDATED 01/26/17 08:42 AM
By Steve Benen
Why in the world does Donald Trump believe millions of illegal v**es were cast in the p**********l e******n? The New York Times reported overnight on the evidence the new president presented to congressional leaders during a meeting earlier this week. In many respects, this one story tells you practically everything you need to know about Donald Trump.
As the Times’ Glenn Thrush reported, the president, resentful about coming in second in the popular v**e, repeated the delusional idea that he secretly came in first after accounting for v**es from undocumented immigrants. When Democrats at the meeting balked, Trump shared his proof: an anecdote he heard from Bernhard Langer, a professional golfer the president characterized as a friend.
The witnesses described the story this way: Mr. Langer, a 59-year-old native of Bavaria, Germany – a winner of the Masters twice and of more than 100 events on major professional golf tours around the world – was standing in line at a polling place near his home in Florida on E******n Day, the president explained, when an official informed Mr. Langer he would not be able to v**e.
Ahead of and behind Mr. Langer were v**ers who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e, Mr. Trump said, according to the staff members – but they were nonetheless permitted to cast provisional b****ts. The president threw out the names of Latin American countries that the v**ers might have come from.
The story was reportedly greeted with silence from congressional leaders. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus quickly encouraged Trump to change the subject.
Why is this the perfect Donald Trump story? Because it checks so many boxes: Trump got to brag about knowing a celebrity, who shared a bizarre and racially charged anecdote, which the president believed because he lacks anything resembling critical-thinking sk**ls, which then led the president to concoct a broader conspiracy theory about immigrants, which in turn helped soothe Trump’s bruised and unhealthy ego.
Rachel described the story as “insane,” which it clearly is. It’s also Donald J. Trump in a nutshell.
The closer one looks at the details, the crazier the story becomes. It turns out, Bernhard Langer’s family says he’s not friends with Trump, and in an ironic twist, the golfer is a German citizen who can’t legally v**e anyway. (Whether Langer actually tried to cast an illegal b****t is unclear; it’s possible Trump just made-up the entire scenario.)
What’s more, the Times’ article quoted White House sources saying Langer wasn’t the v**er in question, but rather, he shared an anecdote with Trump about someone he knows.
In other words, the president believes undocumented immigrants cast in upwards of 5 million v**es last year in part because of a story he heard second-hand from a German golfer about people “who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e” because of their skin color.
Trump not only accepted all of this at face value, he’s also prepared to use the machinery of the federal government to pursue imaginary fraud because of the anecdote.
This man is now the Leader of the Free World.
I’m reminded anew of something Vox’s Ezra Klein wrote in March: “Among the most important tasks the president has is knowing what to believe, whom to listen to, which facts to trust, and which theories to explore. Trump’s terrible judgment in this regard is one of the many reasons he’s not qualified for the office.”
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to wonder if the president’s issues are gradually getting worse.
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fr... (
show quote)
Let me tell you a few things about Steve Been that you don't seem to know. I Googled him again today and found that most of his writing is at MSNBC, various left leaning blogs, and at Media Matters. Look at his stuff at Media Matters and learn something.
http://mediamatters.org/people/steve-benen
oldroy
Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)
lpnmajor wrote:
There will likely be a new rule requiring psych evaluations for P**********l candidates. Too little too late to be sure, but it would have narrowed the field last year by a factor of 5. It is only a matter of time before the myriad psychosis of Trump becomes too difficult to spin away. Mike Pence needs an exam as well, because you've got to a bit "touched" to agree to front a crazy person for President. Is the GOP that desperate? that they'd put the country through all this, just to gain power?
There will likely be a new rule requiring psych ev... (
show quote)
How seriously ignorant of so many things have you become in the recent past? Surely you know that a strongly GOP Congress isn't going to do what you suggest. I don't even think the Dems would do what you say since they backed the Hag of Chappaqua this year. I am not really sure that you really know what psychology is all about. Are you?
oldroy wrote:
Let me tell you a few things about Steve Been that you don't seem to know. I Googled him again today and found that most of his writing is at MSNBC, various left leaning blogs, and at Media Matters. Look at his stuff at Media Matters and learn something.
http://mediamatters.org/people/steve-benenRoy,
You sure you wanted this link to go to me? It seems to fit right in with my view of right wing reporting... Steve Been seems fine.. ????
permafrost wrote:
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fraud falsehoods
01/26/17 08:00 AMâUPDATED 01/26/17 08:42 AM
By Steve Benen
Why in the world does Donald Trump believe millions of illegal v**es were cast in the p**********l e******n? The New York Times reported overnight on the evidence the new president presented to congressional leaders during a meeting earlier this week. In many respects, this one story tells you practically everything you need to know about Donald Trump.
As the Timesâ Glenn Thrush reported, the president, resentful about coming in second in the popular v**e, repeated the delusional idea that he secretly came in first after accounting for v**es from undocumented immigrants. When Democrats at the meeting balked, Trump shared his proof: an anecdote he heard from Bernhard Langer, a professional golfer the president characterized as a friend.
The witnesses described the story this way: Mr. Langer, a 59-year-old native of Bavaria, Germany â a winner of the Masters twice and of more than 100 events on major professional golf tours around the world â was standing in line at a polling place near his home in Florida on E******n Day, the president explained, when an official informed Mr. Langer he would not be able to v**e.
Ahead of and behind Mr. Langer were v**ers who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e, Mr. Trump said, according to the staff members â but they were nonetheless permitted to cast provisional b****ts. The president threw out the names of Latin American countries that the v**ers might have come from.
The story was reportedly greeted with silence from congressional leaders. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus quickly encouraged Trump to change the subject.
Why is this the perfect Donald Trump story? Because it checks so many boxes: Trump got to brag about knowing a celebrity, who shared a bizarre and racially charged anecdote, which the president believed because he lacks anything resembling critical-thinking sk**ls, which then led the president to concoct a broader conspiracy theory about immigrants, which in turn helped soothe Trumpâs bruised and unhealthy ego.
Rachel described the story as âinsane,â which it clearly is. Itâs also Donald J. Trump in a nutshell.
The closer one looks at the details, the crazier the story becomes. It turns out, Bernhard Langerâs family says heâs not friends with Trump, and in an ironic twist, the golfer is a German citizen who canât legally v**e anyway. (Whether Langer actually tried to cast an illegal b****t is unclear; itâs possible Trump just made-up the entire scenario.)
Whatâs more, the Timesâ article quoted White House sources saying Langer wasnât the v**er in question, but rather, he shared an anecdote with Trump about someone he knows.
In other words, the president believes undocumented immigrants cast in upwards of 5 million v**es last year in part because of a story he heard second-hand from a German golfer about people âwho did not look as if they should be allowed to v**eâ because of their skin color.
Trump not only accepted all of this at face value, heâs also prepared to use the machinery of the federal government to pursue imaginary fraud because of the anecdote.
This man is now the Leader of the Free World.
Iâm reminded anew of something Voxâs Ezra Klein wrote in March: âAmong the most important tasks the president has is knowing what to believe, whom to listen to, which facts to trust, and which theories to explore. Trumpâs terrible judgment in this regard is one of the many reasons heâs not qualified for the office.â
I donât think itâs unreasonable to wonder if the presidentâs issues are gradually getting worse.
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fr... (
show quote)
.............................................Another one bits the dust .................................
lpnmajor wrote:
There will likely be a new rule requiring psych evaluations for P**********l candidates. Too little too late to be sure, but it would have narrowed the field last year by a factor of 5. It is only a matter of time before the myriad psychosis of Trump becomes too difficult to spin away. Mike Pence needs an exam as well, because you've got to a bit "touched" to agree to front a crazy person for President. Is the GOP that desperate? that they'd put the country through all this, just to gain power?
There will likely be a new rule requiring psych ev... (
show quote)
I believe a psych evaluation for v***r r**********n is in order, which would negat you and your brotheren! Problem solved, anti-american P.O.S...
timofrock wrote:
I believe a psych evaluation for v***r r**********n is in order, which would negat you and your brotheren! Problem solved, anti-american P.O.S...
Amen. Too many dip sticks that are legends in their own minds....
permafrost wrote:
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fraud falsehoods
01/26/17 08:00 AM—UPDATED 01/26/17 08:42 AM
By Steve Benen
Why in the world does Donald Trump believe millions of illegal v**es were cast in the p**********l e******n? The New York Times reported overnight on the evidence the new president presented to congressional leaders during a meeting earlier this week. In many respects, this one story tells you practically everything you need to know about Donald Trump.
As the Times’ Glenn Thrush reported, the president, resentful about coming in second in the popular v**e, repeated the delusional idea that he secretly came in first after accounting for v**es from undocumented immigrants. When Democrats at the meeting balked, Trump shared his proof: an anecdote he heard from Bernhard Langer, a professional golfer the president characterized as a friend.
The witnesses described the story this way: Mr. Langer, a 59-year-old native of Bavaria, Germany – a winner of the Masters twice and of more than 100 events on major professional golf tours around the world – was standing in line at a polling place near his home in Florida on E******n Day, the president explained, when an official informed Mr. Langer he would not be able to v**e.
Ahead of and behind Mr. Langer were v**ers who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e, Mr. Trump said, according to the staff members – but they were nonetheless permitted to cast provisional b****ts. The president threw out the names of Latin American countries that the v**ers might have come from.
The story was reportedly greeted with silence from congressional leaders. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus quickly encouraged Trump to change the subject.
Why is this the perfect Donald Trump story? Because it checks so many boxes: Trump got to brag about knowing a celebrity, who shared a bizarre and racially charged anecdote, which the president believed because he lacks anything resembling critical-thinking sk**ls, which then led the president to concoct a broader conspiracy theory about immigrants, which in turn helped soothe Trump’s bruised and unhealthy ego.
Rachel described the story as “insane,” which it clearly is. It’s also Donald J. Trump in a nutshell.
The closer one looks at the details, the crazier the story becomes. It turns out, Bernhard Langer’s family says he’s not friends with Trump, and in an ironic twist, the golfer is a German citizen who can’t legally v**e anyway. (Whether Langer actually tried to cast an illegal b****t is unclear; it’s possible Trump just made-up the entire scenario.)
What’s more, the Times’ article quoted White House sources saying Langer wasn’t the v**er in question, but rather, he shared an anecdote with Trump about someone he knows.
In other words, the president believes undocumented immigrants cast in upwards of 5 million v**es last year in part because of a story he heard second-hand from a German golfer about people “who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e” because of their skin color.
Trump not only accepted all of this at face value, he’s also prepared to use the machinery of the federal government to pursue imaginary fraud because of the anecdote.
This man is now the Leader of the Free World.
I’m reminded anew of something Vox’s Ezra Klein wrote in March: “Among the most important tasks the president has is knowing what to believe, whom to listen to, which facts to trust, and which theories to explore. Trump’s terrible judgment in this regard is one of the many reasons he’s not qualified for the office.”
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to wonder if the president’s issues are gradually getting worse.
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fr... (
show quote)
Since OUR President T***p w*n Florida, this is an absurd article. California, Frosty, that's the predominant state with i******s. Frankly, all state v**er rolls need to be purged.
permafrost wrote:
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fraud falsehoods
01/26/17 08:00 AMâUPDATED 01/26/17 08:42 AM
By Steve Benen
Why in the world does Donald Trump believe millions of illegal v**es were cast in the p**********l e******n? The New York Times reported overnight on the evidence the new president presented to congressional leaders during a meeting earlier this week. In many respects, this one story tells you practically everything you need to know about Donald Trump.
As the Timesâ Glenn Thrush reported, the president, resentful about coming in second in the popular v**e, repeated the delusional idea that he secretly came in first after accounting for v**es from undocumented immigrants. When Democrats at the meeting balked, Trump shared his proof: an anecdote he heard from Bernhard Langer, a professional golfer the president characterized as a friend.
The witnesses described the story this way: Mr. Langer, a 59-year-old native of Bavaria, Germany â a winner of the Masters twice and of more than 100 events on major professional golf tours around the world â was standing in line at a polling place near his home in Florida on E******n Day, the president explained, when an official informed Mr. Langer he would not be able to v**e.
Ahead of and behind Mr. Langer were v**ers who did not look as if they should be allowed to v**e, Mr. Trump said, according to the staff members â but they were nonetheless permitted to cast provisional b****ts. The president threw out the names of Latin American countries that the v**ers might have come from.
The story was reportedly greeted with silence from congressional leaders. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus quickly encouraged Trump to change the subject.
Why is this the perfect Donald Trump story? Because it checks so many boxes: Trump got to brag about knowing a celebrity, who shared a bizarre and racially charged anecdote, which the president believed because he lacks anything resembling critical-thinking sk**ls, which then led the president to concoct a broader conspiracy theory about immigrants, which in turn helped soothe Trumpâs bruised and unhealthy ego.
Rachel described the story as âinsane,â which it clearly is. Itâs also Donald J. Trump in a nutshell.
The closer one looks at the details, the crazier the story becomes. It turns out, Bernhard Langerâs family says heâs not friends with Trump, and in an ironic twist, the golfer is a German citizen who canât legally v**e anyway. (Whether Langer actually tried to cast an illegal b****t is unclear; itâs possible Trump just made-up the entire scenario.)
Whatâs more, the Timesâ article quoted White House sources saying Langer wasnât the v**er in question, but rather, he shared an anecdote with Trump about someone he knows.
In other words, the president believes undocumented immigrants cast in upwards of 5 million v**es last year in part because of a story he heard second-hand from a German golfer about people âwho did not look as if they should be allowed to v**eâ because of their skin color.
Trump not only accepted all of this at face value, heâs also prepared to use the machinery of the federal government to pursue imaginary fraud because of the anecdote.
This man is now the Leader of the Free World.
Iâm reminded anew of something Voxâs Ezra Klein wrote in March: âAmong the most important tasks the president has is knowing what to believe, whom to listen to, which facts to trust, and which theories to explore. Trumpâs terrible judgment in this regard is one of the many reasons heâs not qualified for the office.â
I donât think itâs unreasonable to wonder if the presidentâs issues are gradually getting worse.
Trump offered bizarre evidence to back up v**er-fr... (
show quote)
After an exhaustive internet search (all of about 2 minutes on Google), I can find no article written by a Steve Benen even remotely resembling the one above. Since you offered no source for this information, I therefore jump to the conclusion that it is a f**e and award you 4 Pinocchios.
If you want to reply, then
register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
