Trump Trumps Trump

This may seem like stating the obvious.  And some of it is.  But it's much more than that.  Bear with me.

And so it came to pass that parts of the Epstein birthday book were released to the public yesterday, and not shockingly the naked picture drawing attributed to Trump -- a picture that Trump vehemently denied ever drawing because he supposedly couldn't draw (despite examples that showed he could and did) -- turns out to have been real and drawn by Trump.

By the way, it wasn't just that Trump vehemently denied drawing the picture -- which was reiterated by many enablers around him, like his hack press secretary Karoline Leavitt (who had no way on earth of knowing if he drew it or not) and his hack vice president "JD Vance" (who had no way on earth of knowing if he drew it or not) -- it's that Trump was so adamant that he tried to bully the Wall Street Journal, which had published the initial story and drawings, that he sued the newspaper for $10 BILLION!

And then, not shockingly and to the surprise of probably no one rational, the story and drawings turned out to be real.  

And still, hack press secretary Karoline Leavitt's tried to flim flam the public by standing by her and Trump's story by claiming the signature in the drawing was clearly nothing like Trump's.  Not shockingly, with only the use of one's eyes, comparison examples of Trump's signature were near identical.  So near-identical that they almost look like they could have been done using an auto-pen.

And of course, the big news story out of all this was that Trump clearly did write and draw the creepy birthday wishes to the even-more creepy and sickening Jeffrey Epstein, and drew his connection to the convicted child sex trafficker all the closer.  And obviously, it's a valuable and highly important connection to make.

To be very clear, however -- as critical as that is (and it's incredibly critical), at issue is not only that the evidence shows Trump did write this letter and drawing and had a close relationship with Epstein...but also that Trump vehemently, relentlessly, loudly denied doing so and even tried to bully the Wall Street Journal by suing them for $10 billion. The point being:  it's both Trump's actions and lying credibility that are demeaned here.

I know that it's likely that the latter issue went largely (though not completely) unmentioned here compared to the larger point because most rational people not in fervent thrall to Trump have known for a long time that he is a liar.  But that's the problem -- knowing that Trump is a liar has gotten so normalized that it's hardly even mentioned anymore, other than offhanded "of course, that's Trump," dismissively.  And lying so vociferously and aggressively and non-stop unrelentingly is...not...normal.

Trump's lying -- and lying so fiercely -- is not merely pathological.  It's a belligerent and bullying tactic.  Reinforced by his lawsuits and threats of lawsuits.  Which is all the more reason it should be called out every time.  

Trump did just lie here.  And he didn't just get those around him to lie for him, as well.  He used his lie to attack others, to scare them, to threaten them.  And as blatant as his lie was from the first -- it was still a bullying lie.

And he was caught in it yesterday.  He tried to bluff with a hand that not only had nothing, but that everyone could see had nothing because he was holding his cards backwards.

And he still had his mouthpiece lie about it.

And so, the fact that most rational people know that Trump has no credibility, him making such a blatant, loud and continuing lie on the subject must be pounded in that his credibility not only is non-existent, but his total lack of credibility is defining.

It's not just that people shouldn't accept anything coming from Trump's mouth, his tweets or those around him defending him, but that everything he says should be challenged and require that he offers proof.  Of everything he says.

So, as obvious as it is that Trump was "caught in a lie" (tm), it is much, much more than that.  And not something to just shrug off as simply "Trump being Trump."  Yes, it is Trump being Trump!!  Which is being a pathological, sociopathic liar -- with dementia, that is degenerative.

That is Trump being Trump.

Indeed, Trump did write this repulsive letter and drawing and had a close relationship with convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein -- but he also vehemently, aggressively relentlessly lied about it and tried to bully the messenger and all future messengers by using lying as a thug tactic.  

That is Trump being Trump.  With dementia added on top.