A President-Elect Who Not Only Lies, But Attacks The Truth (And Those Who Tell It)

There is no need to take much of your time to illustrate what is, to me, one of the most threatening of Donald Trump’s many threatening character flaws. One simple example from this past week paints the picture very clearly.

Donald Trump essentially bribed---or, if you think the word “bribe” to be too harsh, you can call it “crony capitalism”---the Carrier Corporation to keep a number of jobs from being moved to Mexico.

There is widespread disagreement as to whether this was an economically feasible move for the State of Indiana or for the other employees who work for United Technologies, the parent company of Carrier. Four things, however, are clear: (1) It was a very good deal for Carrier, (2) it was a good deal for the workers who get to keep their jobs, (3) it was not a good deal for the workers who are still going to lose their jobs and (4) Carrier isn’t making any more deals with Mr. Trump per keeping jobs in the U.S.

One other noteworthy fact before I continue: Boeing has made it clear to Trump and others in the Republican leadership that it found his “threat” earlier this week to cancel contracts relative to the two new Air Force One aircraft being devised by Boeing to be not only “a bad way to do business” but also “un-presidential.” In other words, Trump, in New York City, could hear the Boeing execs laughing at his naivete all the way from the Great Northwest. They are apparently not impressed by his penchant for negotiating via Twitter.

But, I digress.

Mr. Trump, as is his wont, created a State Fair-like atmosphere for his announcement per the jobs “he had personally saved” at Carrier. He even flew to the Carrier plant in Indiana to give employees the opportunity to applaud and raucously thank him “in a personal way” for saving “more than 1,100 jobs.” Even a few “Lock Her Up” chants broke out.

However, after taking a close look at the deal, Chuck Jones, who is president of United Steelworkers 1999 (the union chapter that represents Carrier workers at the plant), realized that the president-elect had not been telling the truth---there’s a stunner!---per the number of jobs that would be saved and the number that wouldn’t.

Trump had originally pledged to save all of the 1,350 jobs Carrier was planning to move to Mexico. However, his self-congratulatory announcement put the number of jobs saved, as we have noted, at 1,100. Still not bad, even if it took bribing Indiana to do it---1,100 is a right hefty number of jobs. But, looking at the details of the deal and talking with Carrier officials led Jones to accurately conclude that the real number of production jobs saved would be around 730 and the real number of jobs lost would be 550.

Making the mistake of giving Donald Trump any benefit of any doubt, Jones guessed there was a simple explanation for the difference in numbers. And that the president-elect would surely make the numbers righteous when he appeared before plant workers to receive their pledges of fealty.

Wrong.

Trump accepted the applause of the crowd, encouraged more, accepted it and, finally, in front of supervisors, production workers and reporters, stated that negotiations between himself and Carrier officials had resulted in a deal whereby “Now they’re keeping---actually the number’s over 1,100 people, which is so great.”

Jones, realizing that Trump was knowingly lying and that he had no intention of telling the truth about the numbers---a few over 700 jobs saved, 550 lost---was stunned. Indeed, stunned and angry enough to publicly state that Trump had come to the plant and “lied his ass off” to the people who had gathered to express their thanks for something they didn’t know he hadn’t done.

Upon hearing Jones’ reaction, my first thought was, “Where have you been that you’re suddenly surprised that Donald Trump would lie to you?”

My second thought was, “I bet Trump is looking for his cell phone right now. He can’t let criticism go, even and especially if it’s accurate. The National Weather Service should put out a Severe Tweetstorm Warning.”

I once, during a sermon, asked my congregation in Boone if there was anyone in the sanctuary who would “rather be right than happy.” I knew of one, a friend of mine, who often made that claim and I wanted to see if he would own up to it in front of 500 or so people.

Bless his heart, he did. He raised his hand and, afraid he might want to take over the pulpit and explain his reasoning, I let the congregation laugh and quickly moved on.

Donald Trump knows he’s “not right” when he lies about this or that. It doesn’t appear to bother him that he’s “not right” when he lies about this or that. But it bothers him greatly when he is called out---by individuals, companies, the media, whoever---as being “not right.” Nothing brings out his verbal missiles more quickly than being caught in a lie.

In the predictable Tweetstorm that the president-elect directed at Chuck Jones, Trump, who, in actuality, knew nothing of Mr. Jones, opined that the union leader “has done a terrible job representing workers. No wonder companies flee country! If United Steelworkers 1999 was any good, they would have kept those jobs in Indiana. Spend more time working---less time talking. Reduce dues.”

Anyone who has evolved beyond the “fight or flight” impulses of the reptilian brain knows that union dues had nothing to do with Carrier moving those jobs to Mexico. Nor was it a lack of, well-trained, experienced, hard-working men and women to ply their trade at the Carrier plant. It was the fact that Carrier could get the same work done for $6/hour in Mexico and, thus, enhance its profits.

Seriously, do we not all know that?

In response to being called out by Chuck Jones, however, Trump not only tried to flex his muscle in the direction of the union leader---who is, in fact, described by fellow workers as “just a regular working guy”--- but actually blamed the Carrier workers for the company’s actions.

One guesses he forgot that it was “just regular working guys and gals” who, inexplicably believing that this proven grifter was going to look out for their interests, voted him into the White House.

So, in an age darkened by cyber-bullying, we now have a president-elect who has weaponized Twitter and uses it as a personal/political tool.

Nicolle Wallace, a much-respected Republican communications strategist, was in a take-no-prisoners frame of mind when she critiqued Trump’s Tweetstorm: “When you attack a man for living an ordinary life in an ordinary job, it is bullying. It is cyber-bullying. This is a strategy to bully somebody who dissents. That’s what is dark and disturbing.”

And the presidential historian Robert Dallek termed Trump’s twitter-attack “unprecedented,” adding that “It’s beneath the dignity of the office. He doesn’t seem to understand that.”

As to Trump’s legion of fans who identify themselves in the same way Chuck Jones’ friends at Carrier identified him---“just a regular working guy/gal”---many were not only forgiving of the president-elect’s attack on Jones and his fellow Carrier workers, they supported it.

And they supported it by flooding Mr. Jones’ phone with a variety of threatening messages: “What kind of car do you drive?” and “We’re coming for you!” and “You’d better keep an eye on your kids!” You know, that kind of thing.

Donald Trump’s entire campaign for the presidency was directed at activating America’s darkest angels. Having won, he has apparently decided that’s a good strategy for governing, as well.