Press: Does telling the truth matter anymore? 

To say this country is hopelessly divided politically is the understatement of this year. It screams at you in every political poll. We no longer have her two competing political parties, but two armed enemy factions. It impedes progress on every front, degrades the entire political system, and deters millions of Americans from participating in politics, running for office, or even voting.

Those concerned about how to restore trust in politics have proposed some good ideas, including: End partisan gerrymandering. Abolish the Electoral College. and establishing term limits.

But I suggest a bolder, yet easier to accomplish first step. So let’s get back to telling the truth. Demand that our politicians tell the truth. Let’s respect those who do. And those who do not do so will be expelled from either party.

It seems strange now that Jimmy Carter won the presidency after the Watergate scandal with one simple promise: “I will never lie.” All of Richard Nixon’s lies were exactly what the American people wanted to hear. They desperately needed a president they could trust to tell them the truth.

That was one of the most powerful lessons I learned in elementary school. No doubt inspired by the (false) story of young George Washington and the cherry tree, we were taught to respect the president of the United States. Because he is a man who never lies. It will be dependable.

That’s why it was so shocking in 1960 when war hero President Dwight Eisenhower, the straightest of the straight arrows, said: Admitted lie that American U-2 planes were spying on the Soviet Union. Americans weren’t mad that we were spying on the Soviet Union, but they were stunned that the president lied — and one could argue that it was a lie necessary for national security. unknown.

At least Ike admitted he lied. How have times changed? Last week, in a Republican response to President Biden’s State of the Union (SOTU), Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) offered a horrifying story about the sex trafficking of 12-year-old girls by Mexican drug cartels. did. She apparently implied that this happened because Biden failed to secure the border.

However, as first reported by independent journalist Jonathan Katz, That happened under George W. Bush, not Joe Biden.. And it happened deep in Mexico, not in the United States. Britt had met the young woman a few years earlier, so she knew before SOTU’s response.

Still, when faced with the truth, Britt didn’t apologize for lying or misleading about the facts. She argued that it is legitimate to blame the sex trafficking scandal of 20 years ago on Joe Biden’s policies today. And her fellow Republicans lined up to protect her. why? Because truth no longer matters in today’s MAGA Republican Party. All that matters is scoring political points.

After all, Britt is just following the playbook of MAGA leader Donald Trump. Trump’s entire re-election campaign is based on one “big lie”: that he won the 2020 election and not Joe Biden. Yes, the Republicans who impeached Bill Clinton in 1998 for a single lie are now trying to renominate Donald Trump. According to the Washington Post, Trump said: 30,573 lies in four years in the White House.

If we truly want to Make America Great Again, we would do well to start by expecting and demanding that our political leaders tell the truth. This won’t solve all political problems, but it’s a good start. Truth matters.

Press hosts the “Bill Press Pod.” He is the author of From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire.