Trump's falsehoods are eroding public trust, at home and
abroad.
March 21, 2017 7:28 p.m. ET
If President Trump announces that North Korea launched a missile
that landed within 100 miles of Hawaii, would most Americans believe him? Would
the rest of the world? We're not sure, which speaks to the damage that Mr.
Trump is doing to his Presidency with his seemingly endless stream of
exaggerations, evidence-free accusations, implausible denials and other falsehoods.
The latest example is Mr. Trump's refusal to back off his
Saturday morning tweet of three weeks ago that he had "found out that
[Barack] Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory"
on Election Day. He has offered no evidence for his claim, and a parade of
intelligence officials, senior Republicans and Democrats have since said they
have seen no such evidence.
Yet the President clings to his assertion like a drunk to an
empty gin bottle, rolling out his press spokesman to make more dubious claims.
Sean Spicer—who doesn't deserve this treatment—was dispatched last week to repeat
an assertion by a Fox News commentator that perhaps the Obama Administration
had subcontracted the wiretap to British intelligence.
That bungle led to a public denial from the British
Government Communications Headquarters, and British news reports said the U.S.
apologized. But then the White House claimed there was no apology. For the sake
of grasping for any evidence to back up his original tweet, and the sin of
pride in not admitting error, Mr. Trump had his spokesman repeat an unchecked
TV claim that insulted an ally.
The wiretap tweet is also costing Mr. Trump politically as he
hands his opponents a sword. Mr. Trump has a legitimate question about why the
U.S. was listening to his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and
who leaked news of his meeting with the Russian ambassador. But that question
never gets a hearing because the near-daily repudiation of his false tweet is a
bigger media story.
FBI director James Comey also took revenge on Monday by joining
the queue of those saying the bureau has no evidence to back up the wiretap
tweet. Mr. Comey even took the unusual step of confirming that the FBI is investigating
ties between the Trump election campaign and Russia.
Mr. Comey said he could make such a public admission only in "unusual
circumstances," but why now? Could the wiretap tweet have made Mr. Comey angry
because it implied the FBI was involved in illegal surveillance? Mr. Trump
blundered in keeping Mr. Comey in the job after the election, but now the President
can't fire the man leading an investigation into his campaign even if he wants
to.
All of this continues the pattern from the campaign that Mr. Trump
is his own worst political enemy. He survived his many false claims as a
candidate because his core supporters treated it as mere hyperbole and his opponent
was untrustworthy Hillary Clinton. But now he's President, and he needs support
beyond the Breitbart cheering section that will excuse anything. As he is
learning with the health-care bill, Mr. Trump needs partners in his own party
to pass his agenda. He also needs friends abroad who are willing to trust him
when he asks for support, not least in a crisis.
This week should be dominated by the smooth political sailing
for Mr. Trump's Supreme Court nominee and the progress of health-care reform on
Capitol Hill. These are historic events, and success will show he can deliver
on his promises. But instead the week has been dominated by the news that he
was repudiated by his own FBI director.
Two months into his Presidency, Gallup has Mr. Trump's approval
rating at 39%. No doubt Mr. Trump considers that fake news, but if he doesn't
show more respect for the truth most Americans may conclude he's a fake
President.
Appeared in the Mar. 22, 2017, print edition.
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