Mein Trumpf

President Donald Trump appears to have adopted a technique of Adolph Hitler, who coined the term “The Big Lie” in his book, “Mein Kampf.” The technique uses a lie so “colossal” that no one would believe that a person “could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.”

Trump calls the news media the enemy of the American people because the press does not publish glowing accounts of him, his supposed accomplishments and his idyllic view of the future under his administration.

Thomas Jefferson said, “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” It is fair to say that our Founding Fathers saw a free press as the backbone of our democracy.

Throughout the recent campaign, Trump’s megalomania was seen at each campaign stop and debate as he observed that the United States is in decline and that only he has the capacity to make America great again. One example was his statement that he knows more than our generals about how to defeat ISIS. During his ill-fated effort to implement his travel ban, he ran into a roadblock, that he believes he has the right to ignore in the name of national security: the Constitution. What’s next? Internment camps for those who disagree?

This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Mein Trumpf."