Why Trump got into his lie about calling famlies of fallen service members:

[skip fox]

It's important to realize what happened.

The press asked him why he hadn't mentioned the four fallen servicemen in Niger. They caught him off guard so he does what he always does, lie.

The evolution and logic of his lie:

************************

A.) I've already mailed the families letters.

b.) Or they might not go out until tonight. (That is, they actually haven't been written yet.)

c.) Beside no other president called families of fallen service members.


**************************

This is a familiar arc, and not surprising. He hadn't yet written any letters so he instinctively deflects and doubles down.

But the important thing to realize is that he hadn't really given the matter much thought previously (or he would have written the letters and won't have felt the need to double down).

Implication: He either doesn't care to actually think about issues and events or he is unable to think in a prolonged fashion about such things.

Obviously his staff and advisors told him about these soldiers and the news (which he watches constantly) has noted the fact he hasn't spoken about these men, but nothing has apparently made an impact before yesterday's press conference.

The President is a goldfish.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Typical con artist strategy when caught doing wrong. Blame and slander others.

Serves to confuse and deflect.

[iluvtennis]

32. Indeed.

[Lochloosa]

2. Empathy. See: " Lack of"

[rzemanfl]

3. We are the bowl the goldfish shits in. n/t

[skip fox]

5. Got that right!

[Evergreen Emerald]

4. BENGHAZI!!!!!

No one is talking about what actually happened and the Secretary of State's fault in this. No one is talking about the fact that he did nothing and knows nothing about the attack. We/They/All are talking about how he lied about contacting the families.

Where is the outrage? Where are the calls for hearings? Where are the investigations?

hypocrites all.

[oasis]

16. This could be the start of Trump's "Benghazi". nt

[Baconator]

18. No chance..

Benghazi was about the concrrns of the Embassy staff and the immediate response to the attack and not Obama's response to the families of the fallen.

No suggestion of any thing like that for the ODA.

[WinkyDink]

20. No. "Benghazi" was about lying about Republicans' denial of $$ for more security and then blaming

Hillary.

[Still Blue in PDX]

23. This is what should be shouted from the rooftops!! (nt)

[Baconator]

26. That is one very small part of it...

Benghazi stuck because they could go after Clinton (her DoS) and Obama (his administration).

Tack on the e-mail traffic requesting more security, photos of the Ambassador after his capture and death, and a rumor mill about the response during the attack itself.

None of that is here and this story is going nowhere. It's a dick move but on the new scale it's a 1/10 on the rage-o-meter.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

34. Like one Republican got caught saying:

Look at what's happened to her (Hillary's) poll numbers since the investigation.

[not fooled]

39. Beennnnn-ghaaaaaa-zzziiii!!!!11111!!!!!!1!1!1!

was NOT an embassy, it was a consulate. And actually a covert base for CIA operations in the region.

Sigh.

[Baconator]

40. Yes to the first and duh to the second...

So... what?

[not fooled]

42. Because

adherents of the Beeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnggggghhhhaaaaaaazzzzzzzziiiiiii mythos about how HRC danced on the graves of the slain Americans call it an "embassy" to up the ante and make it sound worse.

[rainin]

21. Sure, if we controlled the narrative

and the house.

[oasis]

27. I'm not expecting any congressional hearings. The MSM

seems to have something it can sink its teeth into. I'm guessing the press, having the resources, and will continue to dig.

[cilla4progress]

6. A) dumbshit should have expected the question

B) I agree he makes shit up when caught off guard, which the press should now recognize and use as a strategy to trap him and
C) he's a blasphemous idiot and maybe this last travesty will put shame into some of his supporters

[JohnnyLib2]

7. I saw dementia at work there--

pulling bits and pieces of a story out of the air to cover what he didn't know, or remember, or understand. "Covering up" for memory losses is a common symptom in earlier stages.

[Kali]

30. ...

[King_Klonopin]

35. It's called "confabulation" -- a compensatory behavior in dementia.

If he fears his deficits are being exposed, he makes up shit on the fly
and grasps at straws.

His deficits are more than cognitive in nature; they include moral and
character deficits. He is making this disgusting claim in order to make
himself look bigger and better than other presidents (mostly Obama)

He is an asshole above all assholes: Trump uber alles !

[mopinko]

8. i think we should start calling these little episodes bluffing.

bluffing because he doesnt have a clue what his job is.
nobody seems to give a damn that he lies all.the.time.
will they care that he is out of his depth? which of course is not even the shallow end, but 6" of water in the kitchen sink, because he is a baby.

[imanamerican63]

9. Remember one thing?

He doesn't like those who are captured or killed! They are following his orders, since they were killed they did do the job right!

[Phentex]

10. also the familiar verbage

"most don't make calls, a lot of them don't"

This man does not know how to speak about anything!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

11. I was just going to post this. It was a "Dog ate my homework excuse"

Which devolved into a "I'm better than Obama" screed based on a complete lie.

He hadn't written a single word to any family member of those four servicemen. They were killed two weeks ago, and he says he was going to send the letters "today or tomorrow"?

Bull to the shit.

[Wounded Bear]

12. Most folks grow out of that stage at about 5 or 6...

Why didn't he just say that his dog ate the letters?

Oh, wait, he doesn't have a dog.

[lagomorph777]

15. The dog left after he kicked it.

The dog is now operating an alt-left website plastered with pictures of Turd and Putin kissing each other.

[malaise]

13. Not one letter was written

That was so obvious

[moda253]

14. He pulled "The Check Is IN The Mail"

What a fucking loser.

[DetlefK]

17. I know that dance: It's the "Climate-Change 3-Step!"

1. It's not real.
2. It's not my fault.
3. It's beyond my abilities.

[eggplant]

19. Whataboutism. No wonder Putin is loving our misfortune.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism

[pwb]

22. He says his lies for Fox News because they probably never did show Obama do it.

That might make the ass base think President Obama did something good. Then he plays the fake news and lies for the rest of us. Rinse repeat every time.

[raccoon]

24. He was lying and everybody realizes it,

But some won't admit it.

[unblock]

25. it also shows how utterly incompetent his staff is.

which reflect on his hiring strategies and/or his management strategies.

any decent white house staff has people well versed in such protocols and traditions, who make sure the president does these things.


either donnie hasn't hired anyone who knows or thinks of such things, or donnie rips into anyone who dares to suggest he follow protocol or tradition.

[JDC]

29. Totally agree.

He surrounds himself wth sycophants who do nothing but feed his ego. Literally. No work like this is being done

[Achilleaze]

28. republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief always dodges the truth

Why republicans chose a casino hustler with a track record of lying and cheating as their "republican family values" role model is a mystery only their freaking republican Beelzebub could solve.

[Nasruddin]

31. This is a Narc tell

... if ever there was any doubt.

People with NPD are thought to have no empathy with others. If some event
doesn't relate to their narcissistic supply directly, the event has no meaning
for them. The soldiers' deaths were a new issue for Trump (probably no expectation of
saluting fallen construction workers in a building project) and he had no
strategy ready - his combination of ignorance and NPD (no inherent strategy)
then came into play. The lying, deflection, projection, and doubling down
are right out of the NPD manual.

This can't be the only time this has happened this year but it seems like
the first time it became enough of an issue to get him in hot water.

[Gothmog]

33. From my twitter feed

Link to tweet

[Mediumsizedhand]

36. You would think Kelly would hire one person to cover this shit.

[stollen]

37. good point, though all these generals voted for Trump

and now they have to justify their vote or lose face.

[Mediumsizedhand]

38. Yes. At first, I thought they might keep things in line.

Today? I have no hope or respect for these men. They have no more integrity than the rest of the crew. I expect nothing from them, they will only disappoint.

[H2O Man]

41. Recommended.

Well done. Very well done.

[SCantiGOP]

43. skip fox: Trump is not a goldfish

He is a fucking moron. Please be accurate.