As each day of President Donald Trump’s time in office continues, the number of false and misleading claims keeps rising. If this pattern of moral decay continues, the legacy of our 45th president will not be measured by his administration’s accomplishments but in his inability to tell the truth.

The Washington Post reports Trump made 2,140 false claims in his first year of office; 5.86 per day. Let’s assume the Post’s Fact Checkers, who have been tracking all politicians’ misrepresentations for about a decade, are enemies of the people — truly the capital letter Enemies Of The People. Let’s discount their 2,140 number not by 50 percent but by 85 percent. Now the adjusted number reveals Trump only told 321 alternative facts. Setting aside the 95 days Trump played golf where nobody distorts the truth on the links, that means Trump purposely uttered only one fib per working day.

Trump is now averaging 16 lies per day, three times more than his average day during the first year in office.

The president’s exaggerations are growing and will, most likely, get worse for these reasons: 1) Robert S. Mueller III’s (Rep.) Department of Justice special counsel investigation is coming to fruition, 2) Southern District of New York’s Court System is finding more of Trump’s business and presidential campaign assistants pleading guilty-as-charged, 3) West Wing staff turnover is increasing (n = 32), 4) investors, business people and consumers are expressing their frustration and uncertainty of Trump’s actions (e.g., trade war, border wall, government shutdown, federal deficit, etc.), 5) more than 100 criminal counts are being charged against 33 people associated with Trump and 6) ongoing criminal investigations of Trump Foundation, Trump Organization and inaugural committee.

It’s obvious why Trump’s false statements, let alone his Twitter tirade, are ramping up. “President Trump” is nervous. He’s never lost before, that is, in his own mind. Trump and his companies have encountered more than 4,000 lawsuits over the past four decades — two lawsuits per week. But, now, scorching heat in the form of impeachment, which he admits as being probable let alone indictments after leaving office, is hitting him smack dab where it hurts, his ego. It’s called reality therapy.

Meanwhile, back on the farm, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) was asked if he thought the president may have broken the law since Michael Cohen lied to Congress. Grassley replied “to what extent do you want to put confidence in what a liar says?” However, Grassley is backing Trump, an untruthful soul, for 2020’s presidential candidacy. Hypocrisy!

I wonder if Mr. Grassley realizes that only 17 percent of the Iowans he was elected to represent feel everything about Trump is “normal and safe?” The Chuck Grassley of 2018 is quite different than who we sent to D.C. in 1980.

Maybe Grassley, age 85, is emulating his fellow 84-year-old peer Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah). During former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial in 1999, Hatch publicly criticized Clinton for lying. Regarding Trump’s legal issues that hint of high crimes, misdemeanors and false statements, Hatch says “I don’t care.” Again, hypocrisy!

As the moral principles of our president become more and more apparent and daily they smack us squarely in the face, now is the time we need to wonder what is the moral principle, or lack thereof, of those who endorse Trump lock, stock and barrel, such as Sen. Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst, Rep. Steve King and Gov. Kim Reynolds, to name a few?

Fellow Iowans, let’s be truthful about Trump’s unguided leadership and moral decay — we’re in a heap of trouble domestically and internationally.

——

Steve Corbin is the Professor Emeritus of Marketing at the University of Northern Iowa and can be reached at Steven.B.Corbin@gmail.com.