The normal politician calculates that lying is counterproductive over the long term. Lie too often, and you develop a reputation as a liar. Donald Trump gained just such a reputation in his pre-political career. “I wouldn’t believe Donald Trump if his tongue were notarized,” said a deputy mayor of New York. Innumerable investors, lenders, customers, and graduates of Trump University would say the same. In national politics, however, Trump benefited from the hesitation of reporters and journalists to call a lie for what it is. In a CNN interview in September 2016, Kellyanne Conway shut down a
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