Networks Let Sleeping Dog Lie

It’s Christmas time, and parents all over the country face that familiar dilemma: When do you tell your kids the president isn’t real? I guess parents could skip the tough conversation and just let their kids watch a recording of the latest Trump presidential address, delivered live on all the major networks. Or better yet, let them read Tom Nichols’ overview in The Atlantic (Gift Article): This Is What Presidential Panic Looks Like. “We could take apart Trump’s fake facts, as checkers and pundits will do in the next few days. But perhaps more important than false statements—which for Trump are par for the course—was his demeanor. Americans saw a president drenched in panic as he tried to bully an entire nation into admitting he’s doing a great job … In effect, Trump took to the airwaves, pointed his finger, and said: Quiet, piggy.” (I don’t recommend actually watching the address, unless you’ve wondered what would happen if narcissism and sociopathy had a baby and that baby’s full diaper was tasked with giving a speech.)