In Search of the Truth

 

Dear editor:

The president’s staff tries very hard to cover up for his well-known gaffes, made up facts and plain bold face lies, but they can’t keep up with him on a daily basis.  His personal lawyer, Rudy Guliani tried his best in a TV interview by stating, “Truth isn’t truth.”  His press secretary Sarah Sanders has said “Facts aren’t facts.”  But Donald J. Trump outdoes their efforts and has really made it difficult with his Christmas trip to al-Asad air base in Iraq.

He told service members there that he was proud to secure them a pay raise of “more than 10 percent” after years of stagnant wages. “Is anybody here willing to give up the big pay raise you just got?  You haven’t gotten one in more than 10 years.  And we got you a big one.  I got you a big one.  I got you a big one.”  This must have surprised the service members in attendance, since military members have seen a pay raise in each of the last 10 years, ranging from 1 to 3.9 percent, according to the Department of Defense. Doesn’t he realize that they already know what the truth about their pay is?

Just this past August Congress passed, and President Trump signed a pay increase for 2019 of 2.6 percent, which was slightly larger than last year’s 2.4 percent.  He forgot??  Didn’t he check before flying to Iraq and making up his own numbers? (Oh yes, …truth isn’t truth and facts aren’t facts.)

According to Trump, many people (unidentified) wanted the raise to be smaller, but he fought for a double-digit raise. They said “You know, we can make it smaller.  We can make it 3 percent. We can make it 2 percent” I said “No. Make it 10 percent.  Make it more than 10 percent.” (If you’re going to lie, lie big.)  On Wednesday he used the phrase “in more than 10 years” four times.

Trump’s lies (made up on the spot) were not the first ones he’s uttered about the military.  Trump has claimed the military budget he signed was the biggest ever—it isn’t—and he’s taken credit for passing a law that allows veterans to use private doctors if they can’t get quick care through the VA.  That law was actually signed by Barack Obama.