Ashbrook: When lies beget lies about American institutions, democracy suffers

Former President Donald Trump is the Grand Pooh-Bah of liars. The Washington Post documented him telling more than 30,000 lies or misleading claims over a four-year period.

Trump incessantly repeats his big white nationalist lie  — that massive election fraud occurred in areas populated by people of color.

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it,” as the saying goes, “people will eventually come to believe it.”

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 55% of Republicans believe Trump’s “big lie.”

The claim was debunked by Trump’s own Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and Attorney General Bill Barr (who behaved as Trump’s personal attorney). More than 80 judges rejected more than 60 election cases after plaintiffs failed to prove fraud occurred. Public trust in those agencies is our democracy’s foundation, but they weren’t believed by MAGA supporters because Trump trashed them.

A free press is also crucial for a democracy, but Trump attacked it relentlessly and warned, “What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.”

Many compare that statement to a line from George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, “The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

Trump and his sycophants blame Antifa for the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 so often that people truly don’t believe their own eyes and ears.

There are reams of incriminating footage clearly showing it was Trump supporters violently storming the Capitol, but the Reuters/Ipsos poll found 35% of Republicans believe the rioters were law-abiding and led by violent left-wing protestors trying to make Trump look bad.

Republicans also falsely claim “election security” is the reason for passing a slew of voter suppression laws nationwide. But that excuse is as weak as their spines.

Florida’s governor bragged about his state’s successful 2020 election, and Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State said it was a fair election. So why did Republicans in those states pass laws making it harder to vote?

Texas won’t be outdone in voter suppression. A recent Texas Tribune article cited a nationwide “cost-of-voting index” compiled in 2020 by a team of political scientists. The index showed it’s harder to register to vote and vote in Texas than any other state. It’s easy to see why historically Texas has one of the lowest voter turnout rates.

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The Texas attorney general found only 16 minor cases of voter fraud in the 2020 election, and our governor admitted there was no fraud. Yet, Texas Republicans are hell- bent on passing more restrictive voting laws with House Bill 6 and Senate Bill 7.

In Arizona, Maricopa County performed multiple audits of the 2020 election, including a hand count and found no evidence of fraud, but Arizona Senate Republicans want another recount.

They hired Cyber Ninjas who’s only qualification seems to be the CEO believes the “big lie.” The audit is very secretive and chasing absurd conspiracy theories.

For example, they’re using UV lights and high-tech cameras searching for bamboo fibers that would prove the wild theory that 40,000 ballots for Joe Biden were flown in from China and smuggled into the polls.

The GOP shuns truth tellers like Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., for admitting Trump lost the election, and he incited his supporters in a violent insurrection.

The wall of lies only cracked after Dominion Voting Systems filed billion dollar lawsuits against right-wing media and individuals, including Fox News and Trump’s attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sydney Powell for defaming their company with fraud claims.

Powell’s attorney argued that “reasonable people” would not believe her “outlandish claims” of election fraud.

I beg to differ.

Joni Ashbrook is a contributing political columnist for the Bastrop Advertiser.

*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from Austin American-Statesman can be found here ***