“Fake News”: Grumpy Trumpy Doesn’t Like the Truth
When the US president reads something he doesn’t like, he throws his toys on the floor and screams “fake news” until someone agrees.
No matter how bitterly I think of UK politics, remembering that Brexit is very real, and our Prime Minister is a cross between a deflated balloon and a cat that knows it’s going to be put down soon, I can find comfort. Because although we’re faking a smile while walking through a minefield blindfolded, our predicament is surprisingly the lesser of two evils. The United States unfortunately has a leader who is probably incapable of spelling “USA.” A rough approximation of a mammal who once said “grab ’em by the pussy” is one of the most powerful leaders in the world. And whenever he’s backed into a corner, facing reality, he utters two words: “fake news.”
It’s interesting to consider how two words have become so widely used, all because someone doesn’t like what they are hearing. Realistically, when Trump says “fake news” what he actually means is “the inconvenient truth.” Often these words are used to escape the repercussions of his own actions. He’ll behave like an ignoramus and shout insensitive nonsense, and then react like a child when media outlets run negative stories about him. It’s all rather juvenile, and it’s a level of dishonesty even children manage to avoid. Rather than showing some humanity and admitting to the damage he causes, Trump would rather sulk and blame the rest of the world; which is behaviour we simply should not accept from a political leader.
When you consider Trump’s use of language it leads to the unequivocal conclusion he is incoherent. His language is simple, repetitive, uninformed, and yet he speaks with the confidence of a knowledgeable man, which evidently is the antithesis of his speech content. It explains why he latches onto particular words and repeats them, because they’re an easy escape hatch. It is obvious he is unfit for office and has absolutely no skills or experience that would enable him to succeed as a president, so its buzzwords and catchphrases that keep him on his feet.
Personally, I despise the very notion of fake news. Trump can halfheartedly deter an oncoming verbal attack and his fans actually believe his bullshit. It’s like a fucking Jedi mind trick. You can provide absolutely concrete facts, and yet they are met with a glazed facial expression and the response “that’s fake news.” It is legitimately dangerous when people, especially political figures, refuse to acknowledge the truth. Trump and his supporters are like a washing machine, loaded with insensitive and badly researched nonsense, set to the highest spin cycle. So when someone tries to throw logic, reason and compassion into the mix, they are instantly ricocheted without a hope of making it in. And when people are incapable of acknowledging other people’s opinions and feelings, it’s a dangerous state of affairs. But does this mean we should give up, or double down and flood every corner of the internet with ridicule? Absolutely the latter.
To conclude this somewhat messy ramble, if you’ll indulge me for a moment, I’d like to explore a possible scenario. There’s a fan theory which argues the events in Harry Potter are in fact a mental construct. Harry Potter has invented Hogwarts and uses it as a coping mechanism, an escape. So for seven books he’s not flying off to Hogwarts or casting spells, but is instead trapped in the tiny room under the staircase, dreaming hopefully of a better life. For me, that is the real purpose of Trump’s obsession with “fake news.” They are not just words used in press statements, speeches and tweets. They are a means in which he can escape reality and dream of a world where the majority of the population doesn’t despise him.
I have an image of a distressed Trump hunched in the foetal position in the corner of his bedroom, with bloodshot eyes, his wig clinging for dear life to the side of his sweaty orange face. His nappy is full. He’s had a hard day listening to people using words with more than one syllable, and he’s had to memorise which countries are his current scapegoat. His wife is in another room, loathing his very existence. The White House staff are avoiding him, fearing that even the Human Resources department can’t save them. And as he scrolls through Twitter, reading comments about him looking like a hyper-perverted Jabba the Hut caught in a freak spray tan incident before a possum died on his head, he feels sad. He catches the tears that roll down his cheeks, rocks backward and forward and gently whispers to himself “it-it-it’s just fake news.” And this makes Donald happy. To trap himself in an alternate reality which only exists inside his mind. A place where he can mock a disabled reporter, judge people based on their religion, make horrid remarks about women, and threaten the basic human rights of the people he was elected to represent, knowing full well that there will be no derision to face. To him, this is the world he inhabits. So he continues to do and say horrible things, whilst completely ignoring criticisms. He truly is an awful human.
Now if you’ve found any of my comments about Trump offensive or disturbing, remember it’s just fake news.
