Lies

President Trump’s first weekend in office was marked by a bizarre series of lies. During a rambling and highly politicized speech at CIA headquarters, Trump made up stories about the number of attendees at his inauguration and falsely claimed the media has created the rift between him and the intelligence community (he had previously compared them to Nazi Germany). While the crowd cheered, there is some evidence that the cheering was led by supporters who arrived with the president. Later, press secretary Sean Spicer also lied about the inaugural attendance, and KellyAnne Conway lit the Internet on fire with her explanation that the administration has “alternate facts.” Here’s the NYT: White House Pushes Alternative Facts. Here Are the Real Ones.

+ From Politico: Trump’s Lies vs Your Brain. (Unfortunately, it’s no contest.)

+ Forget fact checkers. Today’s media needs lie trackers. My advice to journalists.