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.

Despite the ominous tone of the Project 2025 hysteria, the allegations are not specific.  Democrats have enough smear artists combing through it for shocking sound bites.  But they could find nothing more explosive among the 900 pages than a campaign promise of then-candidate Reagan.  The facts do not justify the fear-mongering.

Another lie is not directed at Trump, but about inflation.  The ads promise that Harris will be “going after price-gougers.”  But her handlers must know that only the government printing press causes inflation.  If “price-gougers” caused inflation, they would have caused it during the Trump administration.  Harris and her Justice Department have not prosecuted or even identified any such price-gougers.  

Every election cycle, all Democrat campaigns for federal office claim that the Republican is going to “cut Social Security.”  This year is no exception, as that allegation has been used against Trump and probably every GOP senator and congressman.  But no one has ever cut or attempted to cut Social Security.  Social Security payments will continue to increase every year as long as the government can print, borrow, or confiscate money.   

Another ad accuses Trump of planning to ban “IVF” in certain states.  If Trump wanted to or even could ban IVF in certain states, why would he not ban it everywhere?  The truth is that the power to decide certain matters has been returned to the states.  Trump did not ban IVF anywhere.  He appointed strict constructionist judges who recognize the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.  Only the states can ban IVF — which they have not done.  The Democrats obviously believe that constitutional limitations and processes are beyond the understanding of their base.  So they tell their base that every state law that is permitted by the Constitution is a “Donald Trump ban.”  This strategy presents one specific devil to their base.  It is easier to whip a mob into a frenzy if there is one specific devil to hate instead of courts or lawmakers in various states.

Other ads features heavily edited snippets of Trump from interviews or fundraisers.  Small phrases are taken out of context and strung together, with a narrator stating that Trump will seek “revenge” and “power.”  They were undoubtedly hoping that Trump would say something shocking that would effectively end his campaign.  They have found nothing of any importance.  So they rehash the discredited allegation that Trump called fallen soldiers “losers.”  Commercials now feature family members of soldiers (they can find only one or two) stating that their son was not a loser.  Biden mumbled this refrain during the June debate that ended his candidacy — even though Biden’s son did not die from combat-related causes.

Few people have spoken on camera and on mic more than Donald Trump for the past decade.  Every word of his is recorded, taken out of context, and used against him.  Yet there is no record of him calling dead soldiers losers.  The Democrats apparently cannot even find it in Project 2025.  But they treat the story as gospel.  This lie is among the cleverest because a denial would only dignify the accusation.  Thankfully, the Democrats’ campaign apparently has difficulty finding many military families willing to sink to that level.   

These items are only a partial list of the lies that the Democrats have trotted out.  Each lie depends upon the others to drown out common sense and discourage objective observers from recognizing their implausibility.  It is apparent from their ads that the Democrats do not respect their own base.  The only question is why that base continues to accept such treatment.

Image: Pezibear via Pixabay, Pixabay License.