I wrote the original limerick and post on February 7, 2017. It was in response to a MSNBC blog post – Trump wants to be seen as the sole authority for truth.
As we have seen through out the course of the Trump presidency, Donald Trump does not tell the truth. He is a liar. By mid-July, he had told over 20,000 lies and that number has been increasing at an even higher rate as now election rhetoric is in play. The fact that the United States has a president that is a sociopath and a pathological liar is unbelievable. But what is even more unbelievable and more dangerous to the future of American Democracy is that 40% of the American people either believe his lies, or worse, don’t care that he has disdain for Truth. So much so, that he has lied about a public health crisis that has resulted in 6.5 million infections and 195,000 deaths. And, even being exposed for lying about the severity of the danger of Covid-19, for his own benefit seeking re-election, he is encouraging people to engage in the worst practices which will exacerbate the pandemic.
In defining truth, it is first helpful to note what truth is not:
- Truth is not simply whatever works. This is an ends-vs.-means-type approach. In reality, lies can appear to “work,” but they are still lies and not the truth.
- Truth is not simply what is coherent or understandable. A group of people can get together and form a conspiracy based on a set of falsehoods where they all agree to tell the same false story, but it does not make their presentation true.
- Truth is not what makes people feel good. Unfortunately, bad news can be true.
- Truth is not what the majority says is true. Fifty-one percent of a group can reach a wrong conclusion.
- Truth is not defined by what is intended. Good intentions can still be wrong. Not that Trump ever had good intentions.
- Truth is not how we know; truth is what we know.
- Truth is not simply what is believed. A lie believed is still a lie.
Trump tells lies and then lies to sell it,
And Americans know bullshit when we smell it.
Trump “can’t handle the Truth,”
He’s morally uncouth….
So don’t ever expect him to tell it!
But something has to done about that 40%
Poet's Corner 
If you enjoyed the poem. please leave a comment.