To the Editor:
The only fake thing regarding fake news is the number of fake claims that Trump makes about reputable news organizations and their reporters. Trump and his supporters are either delusional, living in a fantasy world, or the most prolific liars on the planet.
We do know that Trump cannot say four sentences without at least one being a lie. During his first administration he racked up more than 30,000 documented lies. Who knows what the total count is at this point?
The first thing that a wannabe dictator does is attack the legitimate press. He has to make his followers believe he is a victim maligned by untrue press coverage. It is obvious that Trump considers anything other than fawning praise to be false. Therefore, any report that is not some form of glowing praise must be false.
The serious thing about the current situation is that Trump has normalized lying and the perception that any opinion someone spouts is as valid as certifiable facts. Just because someone says or even believes something does not make it reality. As a society, we have become more preoccupied with what is said than what is real.
This situation also makes it difficult, if not impossible, to reach some level of agreement with those who are not tethered to the real world. As James Randi has said, “Those who believe without reason cannot be convinced by reason.”
Norm Hoffman
Waynesville