Mr. Trump and his administration lie to the American people and the entire world every time they speak. The administration lies to the cabinet secretaries, and the secretaries lie to Trump because they are lacqueys at all levels and they all fear being fired. Everybody lie to everybody in this country.
But the worst level of lie is the uppest one. It is the lie the President tells to himself. And this is not merely a matter between him and his conscience, it’s not a religious or moral thing. It’s a conflict between his perception of the world and his own intelligence. By lying to himself and wanting that reality conform to his will, he sinks step by step into a schizophrenic delusion.
For those who struggle to imagine how things can turn out, I suggest watching Downfall (Der Untergang), a 2004 german film about Hitler’s final days. I think the recent meeting between Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth regarding the shortage of missiles and interceptors resembled certain scenes from that movie. No one dares tell the tyrant that he’s done for and has to eat humble pie. Or his hat.