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Alternative Facts: The MAGA Playbook for Defending Trump’s Lies
From disputes over the size of his inauguration crowd to baseless allegations of a stolen election, Trump has built a towering political identity on a shaky scaffold of half truths and outright falsehoods.
Alternative Facts: The MAGA Playbook for Defending Trump’s Lies
Throughout political history, few figures have wielded misinformation as effectively as Donald Trump. From disputes over the size of his inauguration crowd to baseless allegations of a stolen election, Trump has built a towering political identity on a shaky scaffold of half truths and outright falsehoods. Yet what is perhaps more astounding than the sheer volume of these untruths is the steadfast loyalty of his supporters—spanning self-identified MAGA enthusiasts to a significant portion of the evangelical Christian electorate.
How do they reconcile these contradictions?
Strategy 1: Deny, Deflect, Distract
Often, the initial defense is outright denial. When Trump insisted his inauguration drew the largest crowd in history—contradicted by photographic evidence—his press…
