President Trump’s speech to the United Nations was full of flagrant, total lies that every American, Republican or Democrat, knows from their own daily life are totally false. He told the assembly:

“Less than two years ago, the American people gave us a mandate to save America. And in 19 months, I’ve delivered on every single promise I made, and I think I delivered on far more.”

Here is the truth about just some of Trump’s broken campaign promises:

• End inflation “on day one”
• “No new wars”
• Bring “the cost of everything way down”
• End the Russia/Ukraine war in 24 hours
• Make the price of gas under $2/gallon
• Cut the cost of homes in half
• Mail $2,000 tariff rebate checks
• Cut energy prices in half within 12 months
• Reinvigorate car manufacturing with tariffs
• Mail $5,000 checks from DOGE savings
• Reduce insurance premiums
• No taxes on Social Security
• Cut the corporate tax rate to 15%
• Make IVF treatment free

His other lies and exaggerations included a claim that “We’ve secured commitments for $21 trillion in new investments from all over the planet.” In fact, his figure has no apparent basis or evidence, and the White House has never been able to substantiate it.

Another clear lie was his claim that “We have more munitions than we could ever possibly even think of using, and we’re building them at levels that we have never done before.” In fact, the Inspector General quotes the  Defense Department acquisitions office report that the munitions expenditure in (the war) has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply.”

This is distinctly like the story of The Emperor’s New Clothes: a public figure makes an assertion so obviously contrary to the facts that the real question becomes not whether the statement is true, but how many people will be willing to pretend it is.  In Aesop’s fable, two swindlers convince an emperor that they have made him magnificent clothes that are invisible to anyone who is stupid or incompetent. The emperor pretends to see the clothes because he doesn’t want to appear foolish. His officials do the same, as do the citizens, as the emperor walks naked in a parade to show off his new clothes. Until a child shouts out, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!”

Sir Walter Scott described Trump’s false claims very well in his 1808 poem Marmion: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave / When first we practise to deceive!” His continual lying is obviously intentional and calculated. Shakespeare described the reality accurately in The Merchant of Venice: “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”