We sometimes think that no time before was as perilous or troubled as our time. Probably that’s not true. Consider the American Revolution, some two-and-a-half centuries ago, which killed one percent of the population in the colonies here – a proportion equivalent to more than 3 million deaths in a modern conflict. Far more died from diseases, like smallpox; and the economy was devastated because all the men who worked farms were off fighting the war. It was an awful time in America.
Yet this part was simpler then than it is now: People seemed to respect what was true, which you can’t say today, especially when you talk about people in positions of authority. John Adams, who became our second president, wrote, “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
If only the leader of our nation today held similar reverence for truth. If only the propagandists of Fox News and other right-wing media outlets held to the simple imperative of the Ninth Commandment – that prohibition against bearing false witness. If only Americans cared still about blatant disregard for reality on the part of those entrusted with our well-being.
There are legion examples of Donald Trump’s eager and callous mendacity. Some psychologists have suggested that he suffers from what’s called pseudologia fantastica – pathological lying. But I’d say it’s more likely strategic prevarication, rather than impulsive. That is, Trump lies on purpose, to achieve the ends he seeks: He knows what he’s doing. And for more than a decade now, a huge question for the fact-based news media has been what to do about it. (1:40)
Take, for example, his recent move to federalize law enforcement in Washington, D.C. – to put hundreds of troops in the streets – because, he said, the nation’s capital city is “unsafe” and “disgusting.” He said, “It’s become a situation of complete and total lawlessness.” And, in his words, “It’s getting worse.”
But that’s simply not true. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that violent crime in D.C. is down 35 percent since 2023 – to the lowest rate in 30 years. Assaults with a dangerous weapon are down 27 percent, homicides are down 32 percent, armed carjackings are down 53 percent.
I know those statistics because they were quickly reported by journalists who are devoted to truth-telling. Reporters, editors and producers have learned that to avoid misleading people, they need to fact-check the president constantly – because we now know that it’s more important to tell the truth than to try to hold onto a fractured audience by manipulating a perception of balance. (2:30)
So just after Trump’s press conference, the Associated Press sent a report to its 15,000 news outlets globally headlined, “FACT FOCUS: Trump exaggerates, misstates facts on Washington crime.” MSNBC did its fact-check in real time, showing Trump’s announcement on half the screen and a graphic with the statistics on the other half.
Other so-called “legacy media” did similar good work. The New York Times and CNN noted that the most violent day in recent history in Washington was on January 6th, 2021, when Trump supporters rioted and attacked the Capitol. NBC News noted that Attorney General Pam Bondi’s claim that “crime in D.C. is ending today” was clearly impossible, and warned that Trump might down the road claim credit for the plunge in crime that’s already taking place. (3:30)
This all happened, of course, not long after Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in retaliation for publishing weak job numbers in a monthly report. He offered zero evidence to support his claim that the numbers were “rigged” to make him look bad. And now he has nominated a highly partisan economist to take that job, raising a question of whether those government statistics will be trustworthy in the future.
These are just the latest examples of our government’s growing disregard for what’s real. And here's why this should concern us: Truth-telling is crucial in a democracy because it fosters trust, accountability and informed decision-making – which are essential for a healthy and functional system. We won’t all think the same way about big issues, or even hold the same values. But somehow or other, we need a shared understanding about what causes what, what’s broadly desirable, what’s dangerous, and what’s already happened. Without that shared sense of what’s true, a democracy can erode due to misinformation, manipulation, and a lack of public confidence.
Donald Trump and the politicians who cater to his whims, and the media who blithely echo whatever he says, are putting that fundamental underpinning of democracy at risk. I’m grateful that there are serious journalists who insist on truth-telling even when they’re standing up to the most powerful person in the world. And I’m grateful for the citizens who pay attention to that journalism, and support it.
Because if we lose that link to the truth, this will be, in fact, the worst of times.
Rex Smith, the co-host of The Media Project on WAMC, is the former editor of the Times Union of Albany and The Record in Troy. His weekly digital report, The Upstate American, is published by Substack.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
