In the early days of Trump’s “fake news” attacks, there were instances where media outlets made errors or pushed commentary as reporting. Calling out bias wasn’t entirely unreasonable. But over the years, the meaning of “fake” has shifted. Now, anything that doesn’t praise him is “fake,” and anyone who opposes him is “anti-American.”
What began as a little self-defense turned into the tactic. It’s become such a predictable tell that when he says something is “fake,” people instinctively assume the opposite is true. If Trump says it’s good, the pattern of lies makes us suspect it’s bad; if he labels something fake, we assume it’s real.
It’s the classic “boy who cried wolf.” Cry it enough times, and when the real wolf finally appears, no one listens—leaving the wolf to stroll off with a happy meal. With fries.
