What to make of President Donald Trump’s blustery hint that he just might have had his own Comey tapes?
At one level, it was business as usual: another day at the oval office for the prevaricator in chief who has morphed into the “Apprentice” host as president. It was a network tease. Stay tuned. Maybe even intimidation gamesmanship, although, ironically, if that were the case, it obviously backfired.
Much more worrisome than embarrassing, however, is that Trump’s pathological lying, which long predates “birther” charges and “wiretapping” accusations, has a ripple effect beyond our borders that reflects on much more than his proven, problematic character. It once again reinforces–to friend and foe alike–that the president of the United States cannot be taken at his word. Neither by Justin Trudeau, Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, nor by Nicolás Maduro, Raúl Castro, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un.
Imagine the first real crisis where Trump has to address the nation–and the world. What kind of credibility would his devalued presidency yield? Is he exaggerating? Bluffing? Lying?
Now, it’s no longer embarrassing. Just scary.