Wertheimer Political Report, August 6, 2026
DEMOCRACY 21 NEWS
This is a simple proposition.
President Trump’s statements should be presumed false unless independent information establishes otherwise.
During his first term, The Washington Post reported that Trump had made 30,573 false or misleading claims over four years. According to the Post, on November 2, 2020, alone, the day before the 2020 presidential election, Trump made 503 false or misleading claims in making his final case to the American people for reelection.
Trump’s most consequential lie – his Big Lie –which he repeats ad nauseum, is that the elections are rigged, are stolen, are fraudulent.
He knows exactly what he is doing – practicing the demagoguery that authoritarians and dictators have used forever. He operates on the demagogue’s rule that if you repeat a lie –particularly a Big Lie like the 2020 election was stolen from him – many people will ultimately believe the lie.
However, he never provides a shred of evidence for his false claims like the latest one.
According to POLITICO, Trump said about the Michigan primary, “Wayne County (Detroit) in Michigan is one of the most corrupt voting areas in the United States, if not the World,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday. “It is strictly Third World! Miracles happen in Wayne County, including more votes being cast than there are voters, by a lot.”
This is typical Trump garbage without anything to back it up.
But his constant attacks on the honesty of elections are deliberate. They are intended to build public distrust and give Trump grounds to challenge or discredit results he does not like. He routinely alleges fraud, or rigged or stolen elections, when his side loses or he sees a Democratic victory he doesn’t like.
Trump unsurprisingly doesn’t attack elections that come out the way he wants.
And Trump lies, false statements and misleading claims are by no means limited to elections. For example, he made the ludicrous claim that vandals had used a box cutter or knife to create a roughly 350-foot gash in the Reflecting Pool. And he doubled down on the false claim – as usual without evidence – even after federal prosecutors dropped the vandalism cases and acknowledged in a court submission that faulty construction, rather than vandalism, had caused the damage.
If you want to understand how Trump became Trump, read the New Yorker article linked here and titled, “The Mentor: How Roy Cohn Taught Donald Trump Everything.”
This is the key passage:
“Trump’s father had reared him to have cutthroat ambition. But Cohn taught him tactics. The Times reporter David Cay Johnston told Tyrnauer that Cohn had instructed Trump to ‘ignore the rules, do what you want to do, don’t leave a paper trail, don’t keep a calendar, never do things in writing, and, if somebody gets onto you, rat out other people to save yourself. Delay, delay, delay, ’cause grand juries have a limited time, and you can run out the clock. And call in the news media. Make up a fantastic story. We’re just honest businessmen who are being attacked by these corrupt New York City police, or F.B.I. agents, or especially the corrupt and heartless I.R.S. agents. And that’ll be the news story. It’ll put the government on the defensive.’ Cohn’s rules became Trump’s rules.”
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
TRUMPWATCH 2.0
Trump’s Polling Numbers Hit a New Low. Don’t Expect Him to Change Course.
“Barely a third of Americans approve of Mr. Trump’s handling of the job, putting him at historic depths for a second-term president at this stage of his tenure.” — New York Times
The Mentor.
“How Roy Cohn taught Donald Trump everything.” — The New Yorker
Trump, Hegseth clashed at Camp David over Iran missile depletion concerns.
“At a Camp David summit this weekend, President Trump demanded answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over extreme munitions shortages.” — Washington Post
Budget Office: Cost of Trump’s ‘golden fleet’ of battleships set to soar to $275 billion.
“The Pentagon’s plan for a new class of warships named after the president was already a mess. The Congressional Budget Office just made matters worse.” — MS Now
Park Service Finds Trump’s Arch Could Detract From Dozens of Historic Places.
“The 250-foot-tall edifice would alter views across Washington and Arlington Cemetery.” — New York Times
A brutal new poll for Trump shows why Democrats must run against his corruption.
“Running on corruption may be more difficult than many Democrats suspect, but that makes their doing so all the more necessary.” – MS Now
Confronting Corruption.
“Across the political spectrum, the public wants action from politicians to rein in rampant self-dealing.” — Brennan Center for Justice
The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax.
“ProPublica has obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, even nothing.” — Pro Publica
This federal judge ruled against Trump. Then the threats began.
“U.S. District Judge John McConnell’s experience is emblematic of the climate facing jurists, whether nominated by Democratic or Republican presidents.” — Washington Post
Democratic-led states sue to block Trump’s latest wave of tariffs.
“Monday’s complaint is the latest in a series of new legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s forced labor tariffs.” — Politico
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says states, not Washington, should control elections.
” The last time Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma hosted the nation’s governors, it didn’t go so well.” — Associated Press
Trump’s Supreme Court election bid may not be what it seems.
“A recent filing to the U.S. Supreme Court from President Donald Trump’s Justice Department prompted Georgetown Law School Professor Steve Vladeck to flag a key piece being ignored and misconstrued in the reporting.” — AlterNet
Judge Pained as He Grants Dismissal of Jan. 6 Charges Against Oath Keepers.
“The judge, Amit P. Mehta, blasted the administration’s request for a dismissal in the case, saying it bestowed ‘unearned grace’ on the Oath Keepers defendants ‘by wiping their records clean.'” — New York Times
Lawmakers call for Pentagon probe of Trump family-backed companies.
“The letter to the Pentagon’s inspector general was prompted by Post reporting that startups affiliated with the president’s sons have won $3.2 billion in defense contracts.” — Washington Post
MEANWHILE, ON CAPITOL HILL
GOP infighting erupts as Thune warns of legislative “train wreck.” — The Hill
As senators get heat from Trump, some are putting their stances in writing. —Roll Call
As Trump Banks Billions Off The Presidency, Leader Schumer Pushes To Create First-Ever Anti-Corruption Bureau To Stop Presidents From Cashing In On Public Office. — Senate Democrats
New book from [Republican Senator] Tillis dubs Miller, Hegseth as ‘MAGATS’. Sen. Thom Tillis’ forthcoming book explores a group of “grifting sycophants and useful idiots” surrounding President Donald Trump. — Politico
MONEY IN POLITICS, VOTING, ELECTION & OTHER RELATED INFO
Anti-Trump conservatives Tucker Carlson, MTG, Massie huddle about launching third-party movement. Marjorie Taylor Greene says the president has “betrayed us all.” — Politico
Both parties trade attacks as high-stakes fall election looms. — Roll Call
DNC chair faces growing scrutiny amid financial pressure and internal turmoil. Fraught time for Ken Martin as new reporting details cashflow problem and divisions over party’s direction. — New York Times
Sand leads Lahn in Iowa governor’s race while Turek trails Hinson for Senate. — The Hill
