Thread: Here's a constant patter for the last 3-plus years: Trump says something incredibly stupid, offensive, or exaggerated. His critics, instead of simply pointing how stupid, offensive, or exaggerated his comment was,either (1) take one sentence or sentence out of context in

an unfair way to make the comment look even worse; or (2) make up their own facts that are just as stupid, offensive, or exaggerated as what Trump said. Trump's defenders then shift their focus to the critics, while the critics keep prevaricating about Trump.

Cases in point:

an example of (1) for critics was critics, instead of just pointing out that Trump totally mishandled the Charlottesville events, claiming Trump said that neo-Nazis were 'very fine people," when in the very paragraph he was supposed to have said that he said explicitly that he

wasn't talking about neo-Nazis, who should be totally condemned. For (2), instead of simply pointing out that Trump is irresponsibly exaggerating the known efficacy of chloroquinine, suggesting that Trump is making the whole thing up, that scientists are against using it, and so

forth, when in fact it's being used by leading physicians at major medical centers throughout the world.

Yes, Trump is the president, and therefore should be held to higher standards than journalists, opposing politicians, and so forth. But I think it's much *harder* to hold him

to any kind of standard when the loudest critics play just as fast and loose with the facts as he does.

(Another example: Instead of focusing on the very real ways that Trump mishandled Covid-19, we wind up debating whether Trump actually called the virus "a hoax." And, on that debate, he actually wins.)