Notes the New York Times: Students of Mr. Trumps life and communication style argue that the idea of conspiracies is a vital part of his strategy to avoid accountability and punch back at detractors, real or perceived, including the news media.
True, no doubt. Yet the most clarifying point on this matter comes from Billy Bush, who is, if nothing else, a student of Mr. Trumps life and communication style. Bush was the fellow chatting with Trump on the
infamous 2005 Access Hollywood tape in which the mogul bragged about grabbing women by their genitals. Bush was fired from the Today show over the incident. It just so happened, however, that Bush had spent a lot of time with Trump back in his years as an entertainment correspondent, and he discussed his experiences on an
episode of Real Time with Bill Maher in March. Maher noted that Trump had exaggerated the ratings of his program The Apprentice, prompting Bush:
Well, hes been saying No. 1 forever, right. Finally Id had enough. I said, Wait, Donald. Hold it. Wait a minute. You havent been No. 1 for five years, four years whatever it is. Not in any category, not in any demo. He goes, Well, did you see last Thursday? Last Thursday, 18-49
last five minutes. I said, No. I dont know that stat. So he was like, I told you. And then later, when the cameras were off
he says, Billy, look, look, you just tell them and they believe it. Thats it, you just tell them and they believe it. They just do. And I said, Ah, okay.
Thats called telling the truth about lies.
Being a blabbermouth, Trump apparently cannot stop himself from confiding about his malicious tactics to media types, of all people. Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes
recently revealed that Trump had told her about the thinking behind his media-bashing ways. You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so when you write negative stories about me, no one will believe it, Trump told Stahl shortly after his election, as she recalls it.