Day 1: Official Propaganda Begins

On the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump's press secretary, Sean Spicer, called a press conference in order to berate the press for reporting that Trump's inauguration was not as well attended as Obama's. Not content to dispute the photographic evidence, Spicer made this false assertion:

"That was the largest audience to witness an inauguration, period. Both in person and around the globe."

And so it begins.

What to Expect: A constant stream of this kind of thing, and four years of attacks on media, science, and any other sources and institutions that don't go along with his narrative of greatness, or that attempt to hold him accountable. You can especially expect him to project on others his own liabilities. (Mark it, Elder Rigdon!)[1] Here's an example, also from Day 1:

“I have a running war with the media,” the commander-in-chief said. “They are among the most dishonest human beings on earth, right?”

Here is my warning and plea: Do not give your mind over to his efforts to delegitimize truth. You can like his policies. You can think he's better than Hillary or Obama. Whatever. But make him earn your trust! Don't take anything his administration says at face value. [I'm grabbing you by the lapels]...don't let him (and his acolytes) control your perception of truth. You will regret it.




Notes:
1. That's a playful use of Joseph Smith's emphasis in the King Follett discourse.

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