Many Little Lies

The Democrats’ campaign against Donald Trump has been characterized by so many lies that it is impossible to respond to all of them.  The sheer volume of lies prevents observers from learning the truth about any of them.  A large number of lies makes any particular lie more credible.  But we must do our part to document the truth — if for no other reason than that it is the truth.

Democrat ads claim that Trump has proposed a “national sales tax” of $4,000 per household.  Trump has proposed no such thing.  When called on it, Democrats point to left-wing think-tanks that claim that prices will rise by $3,900 as a result of Trump’s proposed tariffs.  (That number is disputed among experts.)

A “national sales tax” is very different from the consequences of tariffs.  Tariffs exist now — even under the Biden administration.  Foreign countries impose crippling tariffs upon American products while subsidizing the products they send here.  Proposing to raise our own tariffs would provide leverage to negotiate the reduction of foreign tariffs.  The opening of foreign markets combined with reduction of foreign subsidized products in this country would provide a stimulus to American manufacturing.  The manufacture of new American products would tend to place downward pressure on prices while raising income and opportunity for employees.

This issue is vital to our economy.  The outcome will most likely be a negotiated deal.  But the political ads speak as if the federal government will add sales tax to consumer purchases (Harris uses the word “enact”), similar to state sales taxes.  Those two scenarios are as different as night and day.

Other ads refer to “Project 2025” as something created by Donald Trump.  None of the ads actually quotes language from any document.  Donald Trump has repudiated “Project 2025.”  The document contains 900 pages, and Democrats’ most specific allegation is that it proposes to abolish the federal Department of Education.  They make that allegation in the same breath with which they claim that Project 2025 will increase Donald Trump’s power.  On the contrary, eliminating federal departments would decrease the power of any president and the Executive Branch.  Education would then be returned to the states and would be decentralized.  President Reagan proposed abolishing the Department of Education when he was first elected.  Political considerations prevented such abolition then and ever since, despite the failure of that department and continuing decline in education results.

The same can be said of the allegation that Project 2025 will repeal what is left of Obamacare (referred to in the ads only as “The Affordable Care Act”).  This program has been unpopular since its inception.  It was enacted only because some senators were promised that their states would be exempt.  Following enactment, the Democrats lost both houses of Congress.  Portions were later repealed, but RINOs prevented outright repeal.  Outright repeal would not increase Trump’s power.  Were the federal government to remove itself from one seventh of the economy, the power of any president would  decrease.

One ad includes a statement from an alleged former Executive Branch employee.  She claims to have seen a draft of Project 2025 at the White House during Trump’s term.  This allegation makes no sense, as Trump was hoping at that time to win a second term that would now be expiring.  She does not explain why Trump would be drafting a project at that time that would be implemented only by his successor.

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