PART ONE: THE LIES WE SAW WITH OUR OWN EYES—How Trump Trained us to Stop Believing Reality
by Mark M. Bello
Let’s dispense with polite fiction: Donald Trump did not merely “spin,” exaggerate, or posture during his two presidential administrations. He lied — repeatedly, shamelessly, and about the most consequential matters a president can touch.
Not once. Not occasionally. This president uses lying as his principal governing strategy. But the most damning part isn’t that he lies. It’s that We, the People, watch him do it — in real time — and let it slide. Here’s a reminder of what we all saw, and too many of us chose to ignore. The country is bleeding because of it. I’m sorry to say that the blood is on your hands.
THE FOUNDATIONAL LIE:
“I won the 2020 election, but it was rigged for Biden.”
This is the lie that poisoned everything that followed.
Dozens of courts rejected it.
Republican and Democratic election officials rejected it.
Trump’s Attorney General rejected it.
His advisors rejected it.
No evidence. None. And yet this lie was repeated until it became Trump’s identity, not an argument. He still tells the lie today, even though he knows it is false.
THE LIE THAT FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY:
“January 6 wasn’t an insurrection. This was a peaceful protest, and the participants were patriots.”
We watched January 6th live. In real time:
Windows were smashed.
The police were beaten.
Gallows were erected.
Lawmakers fled the Capitol.
Rioters shouted: “Hang Mike Pence.”
Trump told us:
It was peaceful.
It was Antifa.
It was exaggerated.
It was justified.
We were instructed not to believe our own eyes.
To some, the instruction stuck, and you looked the other way, refusing to believe what was taking place in front of you.
LIES THAT KILLED PEOPLE:
“COVID will disappear. Like a miracle.”
Donald Trump:
Downplayed a pandemic.
Undermined scientists.
Promoted junk cures.
Turned masks and vaccines into culture war weapons.
And hundreds of thousands died. His lies were not subtle. They were televised daily.
VACCINES, AUSTISM, AND “FREEDOM”
Donald Trump and his lackeys declared “freedom” from government vaccination mandates. They made sure that preventable death, disease, and long-term damage to America’s Health did not stop with COVID.
Anti-vaccine rhetoric — tolerated, flirted with, and amplified — led to:
Declining childhood immunization
Resurgence of measles and other preventable diseases
Parents who became afraid of doctors rather than viruses
Public health was sacrificed for a publicity gimmick and a few applause lines, while the nation’s long-term health was placed in the hands of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Then: “Who? Never heard of him,” or “I barely knew him.”
And somehow, this worked for Donald Trump.
“I will drain the swamp.”
But, instead, Donald Trump:
Issued pardons for loyalists.
Normalized nepotism.
Openly embraced grifting.
Shrugged off ethics violations as “fake news.”
The swamp wasn’t drained; it was franchised.
LIES ABOUT AMERICA AND THE WORLD:
Trump’s comments about NATO, Europe, and Ukraine:
Demeaned our allies.
Praised authoritarians.
Fliopflopped on policy and played fast and loose with decades-long commitments to our allies.Reassigned blame when consequences followed.
Foreign policy became improv theater—Saturday Night Live at the White House.
GREENLAND, VENEZUELA, IRAN
Trump:
Made threats dressed up as strategy.
Blustered for leverage.
And denied reality when his plans failed.
Being competent was replaced by tough talk from a bully that no one should have believed.
LIES ABOUT SAFETY AND FEAR:
“Crime Is Rampant Everywhere”
Cities are “burning.”
Immigrants are “invading,” “bringing crime, bringing drugs.”
America is “in collapse.”
“We won’t have a country anymore.”
None of this was true, but fear doesn’t require facts. It only needs a messenger and repetition.
LIES ABOUT IMMIGRANTS:
Trump loudly and consistently claims:
That immigrants routinely commit crime
Refugees are invaders—foreign countries only send us their “worst” citizens.
Scrict enforcement is needed to protect public safety.
Then Minneapolis happened. Federal agents killed innocent American citizens.
Trump and his officers made statements they knew or should have known were false.
Video evidence contradicted the narrative, and the president said nothing. He was focused on sporting events, his wife’s documentary, denying what we all saw, and acquiring Greenland. In other words, the president said and did nothing.
A LYING HYPOCRITE:
Kyle Rittenhouse vs. Alex Pretti
Rittenhouse (Remember that name?):
Carried a rifle.
Brandished it.
Used it.
Killed two people.
Trump called him a hero and invited him to the White House.
Pretti:
Carried a firearm legally.
Filmed with a phone.
Did not pull his weapon.
Did not brandish his weapon.
Did not use his weapon.
Threatened no one.
Tried to protect an assaulted woman.
And was brutally beaten and murdered by federal agents.
The same administration and president that called Rittenhouse a hero, called Pretti a paid agitator and a domestic terrorist, perhaps the most despicable lie of all.
Even Rittenhouse saw the hypocrisy. That should have ended the argument.
But it didn’t.
So, what’s the point of Part One of LIES LIES LIES?
Recognize the pattern—Trump:
Lies.
Repeats the lie, over and over again.
Distracts attention from the lies.
Moves on to new lies.
America is moving with him, and that is scary as hell.
Next: PART TWO: WE SAW IT ALL AND ELECTED HIM AGAIN.
Mark M. Bello
Mark M. Bello is an attorney and award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, ripped-from-the-headlines, realistic fiction that speaks truth to power and champions the rights of citizens in our justice system. These novels are dedicated to the social justice movement. They educate, spark discussion, and inspire readers to action. One of these novels, Betrayal High, was written in response to school shootings. For more information, please visit www.markmbello.com.
For many years, Bob Gatty worked as a writer, editor, and communications consultant, based on the Washington, DC area with a focus on government and politics. He began at The Pittsburgh Courier, an African American weekly, covering crime and the courts. His salary was $55 per week before moving on to two local Pennsylvania dailies. At age 24, he began reporting for United Press International covering state politics in Pennsylvania and then New Jersey, where he was UPI’s state capitol bureau in Trenton.
Tempted by the allure of Washington, DC and big-time politics, at age 29 Bob became press secretary and chief of staff for two Congressmen – first Republican Edwin B. Forsythe, and then Democrat James J. Florio, who later became governor of New Jersey and until his recent death was a frequent podcast guest and co-host of Bob’s NFN Radio News podcast (now called Lean to the Left).
After seven years on Capitol Hill, Bob opened a communications business in Washington, first providing political media consulting to candidates and then freelance Washington coverage for business and trade magazines, plus creative communications services for trade and professional associations, including social media. This work involved articles and analyses of key governmental developments affecting businesses, such as the food and Health industries, retailing, and the environment.
His work as a communications consultant to trade and professional associations included launching and editing association publications, providing website content and social media assistance, and covering conferences and conventions.
Bob retired from G-Net Strategic Communications in 2016 and moved to Myrtle Beach, SC, where he launched his blog site, first called Not Fake News, now known as Lean to the Left.
Hijacked Nation
In August, 2020, Bob and co-author Chris Waldron, one of Lean to the Left's most loyal and prolific contributor, published "Hijacked Nation-Donald Trump's Attack on America's Greatness," a two-volume compilation of blogs regarding Trump's presidency and the consequences for our nation. A followup volume was published by Luna Global Media in September 2024. It is available at https://amzn.to/4ePrTF7 .
In all three volumes, blogs from Not Fake News and Lean to the Left create a virtual play-by-play of key actions of the Trump administration and Congress. For more information, please visit https://leantotheleft.net/books/, and visit Bob's Author's Page on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bob-Gatty/author/B08C7HWXZ5?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4e603563-7251-4074-b54d-40800c4ce40a.
The Lean to the Left Podcast
The Lean to the Left podcast provides commentary and interviews with newsmakers and others with interesting stories to tell. Video and audio podcasts stream twice weekly on major channels. More info at https://podcast.leantotheleft.net.
The Lean to the Left YouTube Channel
You'll find all of the audio tracks for the Lean to the Left Podcast here plus original videos, including complete video versions of each podcast.
https://www.youtube.com/@LeantotheLeft.
