In 1837, Hans Christian Andersen published “Fairy Tales Told for Children which included his famous tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” It’s a Fairy tale about an emperor who was so excessively fond of new clothes that he spent all of his money on clothing.  Two swindlers pose as weavers to the Emperor and claim to make garments visible only to the wise and competent. The Emperor agrees to pay them to make this clothing, and the two set up empty looms pretending to weave clothing. Fearing being seen as foolish or unfit, the emperor and his officials pretend to admire the nonexistent clothes. On the day the emperor parades through the city in his “new outfit,” he takes off all his clothing and acts like he his putting on the new clothing. He is afraid to admit he does not see any clothing, as he pretends he is dressing.  As he parades in public naked down the streets, all the townspeople feign admiration. of clothes they do not see. Suddenly, a small child yells, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!” The crowd begins to echo the child and the emperor, though realizing the crowd is telling the truth, continues the procession with false dignity.

Are you seeing the connection between this 1837 story and today’s news reporting that Donald Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch? The suit alleges defamation over a story involving a sexually suggestive birthday note sent by Trump to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein he denies sending and maintains is a fake. The note, which also includes a drawing of the outline of a naked woman, was released by the House Oversight Committee, which had subpoenaed a batch of documents from Mr. Epstein’s estate. The note describes an imagined conversation between Trump and Epstein, framed by a sketched outline of a woman’s torso and breasts. The text reads like a conversation between “Donald” and “Jeffrey.” It begins with a “Voice Over” that says: “There must be more to life than having everything.” “Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret,” the letter concludes. The letter is signed “Donald” in the sketched woman’s pubic area. It appears to have been written in thick black marker with angular letters and a long trail after the last “D.” Contemporaneous, authenticated letters from Trump have identical signatures.

Republican members of Congress, Trump administration members, and all those who curry favor from Trump have immediately fallen into step and joined he chorus saying it is a fake. In the face of clear, undeniable evidence, Trump’s minions fall into line. They are like the people in the 1837 tale who were unwilling to admit the truth their own eyes showed because of fear, self-interest, or lack of integrity. We need the small child to call out, “He is lying. He did send the birthday card,” and give the rest of the Trump devotees the courage to admit what they know is the truth. In the 1933 movie featuring The Three Stooges, there is a scene in which Chico Marx denies he left the room earlier, and the other says: “But, I saw you leave with my own eyes.” To which Chico says: “Well, who ya gonna believe, me or your own eyes?” That’s the question for all the Trump followers who echo Trump’s obvious lie about sending the card he now doesn’t want to accept responsibility for sending.