I Alone Can Fix It is a new book from Washington Post reporters Phillip Rucker and Carol Leonnig detailing the final year of former President Donald Trump's administration, culminating in the attack on the United States Capitol by a mob of pro-Trump extremists motivated by his lies about the 2020 election.
While Trump continues to release deranged statements doubling down on the lie that victory in the election was "stolen" from him by Democrats engaging in widespread election fraud, it's far from the only lie he's told the American people. In fact, over the course of his time in the White House, Trump made over 30 thousand "false or misleading" statements.
For I Alone Can Fix It, Rucker and Leonnig sat down with Trump for an hours-long interview, where he claimed he would likely defeat former Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in an election if they were alive today and where he called Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell—the top elected official in his own party—"a stupid person."
While the exaggerated hypotheticals and petty insults were characteristic of Trump, his answer for why he lies to the American people was surprisingly upfront.
When @CarolLeonnig and I asked Trump why he repeatedly told the public things that were not true, he said, \u201cAre you talking about disinformation or are you talking about lies? There is a more beautiful word called disinformation.\u201d\n\nA more beautiful word.https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/07/the-feverish-mind-of-trump-after-leaving-the-white-house\u00a0\u2026— Philip Rucker (@Philip Rucker) 1626727386
According to Rucker, Trump responded:
"Are you talking about disinformation or are you talking about lies? There is a more beautiful word called disinformation."
Trump spewed a years-long onslaught of disinformation throughout his time in office, though it was often debated whether he was deliberately lying or if he was so unhinged that he actually believed his own lies.
His answer seemed to settle that.
He\u2019s actually telling people he can\u2019t be believed.\n\nDoesn\u2019t matter.https://twitter.com/philiprucker/status/1417223494513922049\u00a0\u2026— Terry Moran \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Terry Moran \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1626791022
Welp. There you have it.https://twitter.com/philiprucker/status/1417223494513922049\u00a0\u2026— Jean Hanff Korelitz (@Jean Hanff Korelitz) 1626792464
To all the people who say \u201cTrump is a real conspiracy theorist, Trump believes his own lies\u201c \u2014-\n\nI give you Exhibit A:\n\u201cThere is a more beautiful word called disinformation\u201d\nDonald John Trumphttps://twitter.com/philiprucker/status/1417223494513922049\u00a0\u2026— R Roberts (@R Roberts) 1626809259
Trump: "The Great White Liar"https://twitter.com/PhilipRucker/status/1417223494513922049\u00a0\u2026— JEFF (@JEFF) 1626747106
Trump: "The Great White Liar"https://twitter.com/PhilipRucker/status/1417223494513922049\u00a0\u2026— JEFF (@JEFF) 1626747106
Trump is not insane or disturbed. He is a callous criminal. His decisions are deliberate & well planned.\n "Disinformation" - he says is a technique uses to manipulate & trigger people to do what he wants. \nHis crimes are premediated! People do not want to believe it - so evil!https://twitter.com/PhilipRucker/status/1417223494513922049\u00a0\u2026— Joan (@Joan) 1626734362
Though Trump is out of the White House (for now), his continued disinformation—and the GOP's embrace of it—are widely considered a threat.
What. The. F*ck?! How is this creep getting away this? All you have to do is open your eyes. It\u2019s a game to him. And American democracy is the collateral damage.https://twitter.com/philiprucker/status/1417223494513922049\u00a0\u2026— Kim Kitai\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf7 (@Kim Kitai\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf7) 1626746859
To believe trump is to deny reality. And he\u2019s mocking your gullibility right to your face. #IALONECANFIXIThttps://twitter.com/philiprucker/status/1417223494513922049\u00a0\u2026— Benjamin Thomas \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Benjamin Thomas \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1626791414
Disinformation about Covid got people killed. Evil may not be a beautiful word, but here it\u2019s an accurately applied one.https://twitter.com/philiprucker/status/1417223494513922049\u00a0\u2026— Michael Freeman (@Michael Freeman) 1626784467
Trump is the favorite to win the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.
@jmarie1250/TikTok
@jmarie1250/TikTok
@jmarie1250/TikTok
@jmarie1250/TikTok
@jmarie1250/TikTok
@jmarie1250/TikTok
@jmarie1250/TikTok
@jmarie1250/TikTok
@jmarie1250/TikTok
@jmarie1250/TikTok
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for ZFF