"He invented a violent crime wave even as crime statistics were falling nearly everywhere; he invented a nationwide crisis of voting by non-citizens despite almost no evidence it was happening at all; he accused his opponents of consciously betraying the country by deliberately herding violent felons across open borders and directing them to rape, kill and plunder a helpless population of law-abiding Americans, a narrative supported by little more than anecdotes;"
"This cartoonish version of current affairs was immensely gratifying to his MAGA base of true believers, and didn't unduly trouble swing voters who were inclined to believe all politicians make stuff up and who mostly just wanted a change of administration. But now that Trump is totally in charge of the federal government and exhibiting every single day his domination of national affairs, he wants the public to acknowledge the astonishingly bright prospects he has given them,"
Donald Trump repeatedly asserted counterfactual claims during his 2024 campaign, inventing a violent crime wave and a nationwide crisis of non-citizen voting despite little evidence. He accused opponents of deliberately sending violent felons across borders to commit atrocities and characterized his many legal troubles as perversions of justice. These fabrications painted a picture of a nation collapsing from previously unparalleled glory. The narrative energized his MAGA base and did not overly deter swing voters. Now as president and fully controlling the federal government, he seeks public recognition for claimed national improvements while downplaying ongoing public concerns about affordability.
#political-misinformation #trump-2024-campaign #crime-and-immigration-narratives #affordabilityeconomy
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