President Donald Trump unleashed a new attack on the free press at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Missouri, urging supporters to ignore what the media says and that voter should "just stick with us."
In his speech, the president said the country is doing "better than it's ever done before, economically," before launching into a tantrum in which he said what the press reports "is not what's happening."
But it's all working out. Just remember: What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening.
"Don’t believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news,” Trump added. His comments were followed by laughter and applause from the audience.
Twitter said Trump is living in his own universe.
The continued gaslighting of Trump's base was apparent to many on social media, who were disturbed by the president encouraging his supporters to reject evidence in favor of what he tells them.
Just like in a cult.
The president had just finished sharing his opinion that the strong economy means "this is the time" for tariffs.
Trump said farmers would be the “biggest beneficiary” in his burgeoning trade war with allies around the world, a result of tariffs Trump levied on foreign goods and the retaliatory tariffs imposed by U.S. trading partners.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced a $12 billion bailout package for American farmers who have begun to feel the economic sting of rising prices of exported American goods.
Several prominent Republican Senators tore into Trump's proposal. Nebraska's Ben Sasse said Trump’s “trade war” is “cutting the legs out from under farmers,” and that Trump’s desire to “spend $12 billion on gold crutches” is an affront to farmers who “don’t want to be paid to lose.” He added that Trump's trade policies are going to "make America 1929 again.
Two other Republican Senators – Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin – joined Sasse in his opposition to what they see as unnecessary government intervention in a deliberately manufactured economic crisis.
Paul called the administration’s move “welfare for farmers” and Johnson said Trump’s policies are creating a “Soviet-style economy.”
The president also plugged his 2020 reelection campaign and its slogan, "Keep America Great."
Laura Michalski on Unsplash 
