During President Trump's first two years in office, the nation's chief executive had spun 7,600 untruths by the close of 2018, averaging more than 15 erroneous claims a day last year -- almost triple the rate from 2017, according to the Washington Post's Fact Checker.
With the indictment of Trump associate Roger Stone for lying to Congress, it's clear the lying epidemic is growing, having ensnared some of President Trump’s closest friends and advisers who Special Council Robert S. Mueller has accused of lying to Congress or to federal investigators about Russia and related issues.
In this article in today's Post, the authors put it this way:
They lied to the public for months before Donald Trump was elected — and then repeatedly after he took office.
They lied to Congress as lawmakers sought to investigate Russia’s attack on American democracy in 2016.
And they lied to the FBI, even when they knew lying was a crime.In indictments and plea agreements unveiled over the last 20 months, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has shown over and over again that some of President Trump’s closest friends and advisers have lied about Russia and related issues.
On Friday, Mueller laid out a new allegation: that longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone lied to Congress and obstructed its probe of Russia’s interference in the 2016 campaign.
Of course, Trump and his henchmen, such as wacko attorney Rudy Giuliana, poo poo those lies, essentially saying they are meaningless or at least have nothing to do with the president.
That, however, remains to be seen.
In the months ahead, we will witness Congressional hearings into many of these matters and there will be even more opportunities for Trump associates who will be called as witnesses to lie once again, at least to keep their stories consistent. Of course, lying to Congress is a federal crime that can land you in the clink. Just ask Michael Cohen.
So far, the Post's article today points out, Trump’s former campaign chairman, deputy campaign manager, former national security adviser, personal lawyer and a campaign foreign policy adviser all have been accused of lying to investigators exploring Russia activity.
The obvious question is Why? Who are they protecting?
Hopefully, when all of these investigations have concluded, we will have the answer.