Masha Gessen

But he also lied about the weather. Because it was rainy and, you know, the cameras panned to all these former presidents. And Trump claimed that when he started to speak, the sun came out and the clouds parted, you know, as though God herself were on his side. And it was an easily checkable story. It was definitely not true.

But he also lied about the weather. Because it was rainy and, you know, the cameras panned to all these former presidents. And Trump claimed that when he started to speak, the sun came out and the clouds parted, you know, as though God herself were on his side. And it was an easily checkable story. It was definitely not true.

And then he emerges from this and says, you know, that that's something entirely different than we saw with our lying eyes.

And then he emerges from this and says, you know, that that's something entirely different than we saw with our lying eyes.

Okay. Lies can serve a number of functions. People lie to deflect, to avoid embarrassment or evade punishment by creating doubt, to escape confrontation or lighten the blow, to make themselves appear better, to get others to do or give something, and even to entertain. However unskilled a person may be at lying, they usually hope that the lie will be convincing.

Okay. Lies can serve a number of functions. People lie to deflect, to avoid embarrassment or evade punishment by creating doubt, to escape confrontation or lighten the blow, to make themselves appear better, to get others to do or give something, and even to entertain. However unskilled a person may be at lying, they usually hope that the lie will be convincing.

Executives want shareholders to think that they have devised a foolproof path to profits. Defendants want juries to believe that there is a chance that someone else committed the crime. People in relationships want their partners to think that they have never even considered cheating. Guests want the host to think that they like their fish overcooked.

Executives want shareholders to think that they have devised a foolproof path to profits. Defendants want juries to believe that there is a chance that someone else committed the crime. People in relationships want their partners to think that they have never even considered cheating. Guests want the host to think that they like their fish overcooked.

These lies can be annoying or amusing, but they're surmountable. They collapse in the face of facts. The Trumpian lie is different. It is the power lie or the bully lie. It is the lie of the bigger kid who took your hat and is wearing it while denying that he took it. There's no defense against this lie because the point of the lie is to assert power, to show I can say what I want when I want to.

These lies can be annoying or amusing, but they're surmountable. They collapse in the face of facts. The Trumpian lie is different. It is the power lie or the bully lie. It is the lie of the bigger kid who took your hat and is wearing it while denying that he took it. There's no defense against this lie because the point of the lie is to assert power, to show I can say what I want when I want to.

the power of light conjures a different reality that demands that you choose between your experience and the bully's demands. Are you going to insist that you're wet from the rain or give in and say that the sun is shining?

the power of light conjures a different reality that demands that you choose between your experience and the bully's demands. Are you going to insist that you're wet from the rain or give in and say that the sun is shining?

Yeah, these are bully lies. And I'm seeing, you know, more and more of the sort of impossibility of standing up to it. Because there are now a lot of these people, right? It's not just Trump. The first administration was Trump and his lies and a bunch of psychophants. Now they're kind of all, particularly Trump and Musk, are just kind of running. One is constantly getting ahead of the other.

Yeah, these are bully lies. And I'm seeing, you know, more and more of the sort of impossibility of standing up to it. Because there are now a lot of these people, right? It's not just Trump. The first administration was Trump and his lies and a bunch of psychophants. Now they're kind of all, particularly Trump and Musk, are just kind of running. One is constantly getting ahead of the other.

Federal employees have fortunes in the tens of millions with a salary of $180,000.

Federal employees have fortunes in the tens of millions with a salary of $180,000.

Oh, absolutely. I mean, I wrote a piece about it at the time saying that it was totally Trumpian behavior. I did not win any friends with that piece, but that's what it felt like because we could see it. We could see the debate. And then there were all these people around Biden who were saying, don't believe your lying eyes. He is in control. He's running the country.

Oh, absolutely. I mean, I wrote a piece about it at the time saying that it was totally Trumpian behavior. I did not win any friends with that piece, but that's what it felt like because we could see it. We could see the debate. And then there were all these people around Biden who were saying, don't believe your lying eyes. He is in control. He's running the country.

It had that feel of the bully lie.

It had that feel of the bully lie.