He Said, She Said, They Said

It has been five days since the bipartisan meeting on immigration took place last Thursday in the Oval Office between several lawmakers and President Trump.  What Mr. Trump allegedly said has been the news for all of those five days. No one yet seems to know for sure what word(s) Trump used in that meeting.  President Trump on Friday appeared to deny he used the phrase “bleep countries” to describe Africa and other nations, including Haiti, tweeting “this was not the language used.”  He said, “The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough…” Mr. Trump also denied he made derogatory comments about Haitians, tweeting, “Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country.” 

Senator Dick Durbin attended the Thursday night meeting and reported:  “In the course of his comments [Trump] said things which were hate-filled, vile and racist.  You’ve seen the comments in the press.  I have not read one of them that’s inaccurate.” Asked about Trump’s tweet on Friday “denying that he used those words,” Durbin said, “It is not true.  He said these hate-filled things and he said them repeatedly.” 

One of Trump’s advisers, Kirstjen Nielson (Homeland Security Secretary) was in the meeting.  She said on Fox News that she did not recall if Trump used “that specific phrase.” Senator Lindsey Graham said Durbin’s comments were “basically accurate.”  He also implied that he “said my piece directly” to Trump. Senators David Perdue and Tom Cotton said in a joint statement that they “do not recall the President saying these comments specifically,” and in response to Durbin’s accusation, “it seems that not everyone is committed to negotiating in good faith.” Senator Perdue was more explicit on  Sunday morning asserting, “I’m telling you, he [Trump] did not use that word.”

The “word(s)” matters of course, as do any denigrating comments about other nations and peoples, but what matters even more is that one group or the other is lying. Lying creates consequences. I know this because I’ve told a few and suffered from the lies of others. Haven’t you?  If Durbin is lying he is denigrating the integrity of the President and his fellow senators.  If Durbin is telling the truth, our President and those who have chosen to link arms with him, have denigrated the integrity of Senator Durbin.  But there is an even greater consequence—such lying (whoever it is who lies) denigrates the American people—you and me!  

The moon is there--so is truth
 in spite of an eclipse.