Analysis: The Impact of Trump's Deceptive Influence
Exploring how Trump's persistent dissemination of misinformation has effectively shaped a new perception among a significant voter base, making him a formidable opponent to overcome.
Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. View more opinion on CNN.
Yes, it's happening again. Former President Donald Trump has taken center stage once more, and we are once again facing his relentless disinformation campaign. This effort has been surprisingly successful in shaping a new reality for a significant portion of the electorate, making Trump a formidable opponent.
Frida Ghitis
Frida Ghitis
On Tuesday night, Trump came out at his Mar-a-Lago resort to claim victory in the Super Tuesday primaries. However, his speech was filled with misleading information, exaggerations, and even blatant lies, which made many of us realize the challenges we may face ahead.
His distorted view of America today, completely disconnected from reality, is designed to scare voters into supporting him. On the other hand, his overly positive recollection of his time in the White House tries to make Americans believe that everything was perfect during his presidency, even though the passage of time may have blurred the memory of the challenges faced during those difficult days.
Fact-checking is ineffective against such expert manipulation tactics. It is nearly impossible to keep pace. By the time diligent professionals uncover the truths that Trump has tried to conceal, millions of people have already heard and embraced them, or at least grasped the main idea of Trump's self-serving narrative.
Regularly facing a crowd of microphones and cameras, the lies overshadow the truth. Later attempts to present the facts barely make a dent.
He transformed the persuasive techniques of a salesman selling fake cures into the inflammatory speech of a political leader.
Trump's dangerous ability lies in his skill to transform the tactics of a deceptive salesman into the inflammatory language of a demagogue. According to Merriam-Webster, a demagogue is a leader who exploits common biases and makes false promises to acquire power. This definition eerily mirrors Trump's recent speech at Mar-a-Lago, which foreshadows what Americans can anticipate in the upcoming months.
It was quite amusing, and a bit frustrating, to hear Trump suggest that due to President Joe Biden's policies, “the world is laughing at us.” However, it was actually Trump himself who faced literal laughter when he boldly proclaimed at the United Nations in 2018 that his administration had achieved more in less than two years than almost any other in history. The audience erupted in laughter at such a preposterous statement.
Another instance that stands out is when NATO leaders were captured on video seemingly mocking the peculiar behavior of the American president. These were just a few of the occasions when Trump became the subject of ridicule.
America's allies are deeply concerned about the possibility of Trump being re-elected as president. They fear that his admiration for dictators and his lack of support for NATO and other alliances could greatly impact global security.
A voter enters the polling station in Kennebunk, Maine, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Super Tuesday elections are being held in 16 states and one territory. Hundreds of delegates are at stake, the biggest haul for either party on a single day. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
A voter arrived at the polling station in Kennebunk, Maine on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. This date marks Super Tuesday, where elections are taking place in 16 states and one territory. It is a crucial day as hundreds of delegates are up for grabs, making it the largest number for either party on a single day. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
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Trump got it wrong if he thinks the world respects the US less under Biden. Surveys consistently show that approval of US leadership plummeted during his time in office but has significantly improved since Biden took over.
Despite Trump calling Biden the "worst president in the history of our country," a survey conducted by the American Political Science Association ranked Trump as the worst president, coming in at 45th out of 45 presidents. This low ranking was due to his divisive actions, numerous legal issues, and attempts to overturn a democratic election. In contrast, Biden was ranked 14th, with Abraham Lincoln taking the top spot.
Trump's speeches may try to paint a different picture, but the reality is that his presidency was marked by controversy and misconduct, leading to a lack of respect for US leadership.
Trump, like demagogues often do, tried to instill fear and alarm by painting a grim picture of our current era, similar to his controversial "American Carnage" inaugural speech in 2017. He claims that the country is plagued by increasing crime, largely attributed to undocumented immigrants who he describes as "invading" the nation. According to him, these individuals are "poisoning the blood" of America, using rhetoric reminiscent of Adolf Hitler and White supremacists to incite their base against a minority group.
In reality, there has been a significant decrease in violent crime rates, particularly in major cities. Homicides, assaults, rapes, and robberies have all seen a decline. However, many Americans are swayed by political propaganda and continue to believe in the exaggerated and menacing portrayal of reality. This distorted perception is likely to benefit Trump, regardless of the actual statistics.
In fact, crime rates increased during the Trump administration. FBI data revealed a significant rise in murders by nearly 30% from 2019 to 2020, particularly during the early stages of the pandemic. Assault, robbery, and rape also saw an uptick in numbers.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 7: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. McConnell spoke on a range of issues after a closed-door lunch meeting with Senate Republicans. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) addressed the press at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on March 7, 2023. Following a private lunch meeting with Senate Republicans, McConnell discussed various topics during the news conference. The event was captured by photographer Drew Angerer for Getty Images.
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Crime exists, and some migrants are involved in criminal activities. Acts of violence by migrants, particularly those with Hispanic names, tend to receive exaggerated attention and are often used as a weapon against Democrats.
On the other hand, the economy is another area where Trump is effectively manipulating the country with some level of success.
Under the previous president, he boasted about having the best economy in the history of the world. However, under President Biden, the economy has actually performed even better by almost any measure. More than 14 million new jobs have been created under Biden, averaging about 400,000 new jobs each month. This is a significant increase compared to the 176,000 monthly average under Trump before the pandemic hit. Speaking of the pandemic, Trump's mismanagement led to the wealthiest country on Earth becoming one of the hardest hit in the world.
Even when excluding the impact of the pandemic, the overall economy, as measured by GDP, has grown at a faster rate under President Biden than it did under Trump. Unemployment has also reached a 50-year low, showing positive progress in the economy under the current administration.
Inflation continues to be an issue stemming from the pandemic, but it is decreasing rapidly.
Trump falsely claimed to have achieved "energy independence" while in office and implied that US oil production is suffering under Biden. In truth, the United States is currently producing record amounts of oil, surpassing any other country in history. Biden is not causing harm to the oil industry.
When Trump made dire predictions about a stock market collapse if Biden won the 2020 election, it's interesting to look back at his market forecasts. Despite his confident warnings, the stock market actually went on to reach record highs. The economy has also been strong, surpassing recession predictions. In response to one of these record-breaking moments, the Biden campaign resurfaced Trump's earlier prediction of market doom.
“Good one, Donald,” Biden joked on X.
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Biden and his campaign are standing up to Trump and his followers by speaking the truth. However, they are facing a formidable opponent - the power of bold, shameless lies that are constantly repeated.
For Biden, it is a difficult task to combat Trump's well-practiced tactics, as reported by the Washington Post which documented 30,573 lies and misleading statements during his time in office. The media plays a crucial role in covering Biden's campaign without amplifying the harmful effects of Trump's continuous barrage of falsehoods. It is certainly a challenging responsibility.
