[Me talking with an early version of AI]

Being inclined to express my opinion across a variety of formats—in person, in newspaper op-ed pieces, online, and in this blog—I’ve received a smattering of hate mail over the years. My first hate snail-mail experience was around Y2K. I had an every-other-week column in the Missoulian newspaper. Whenever I wrote anything positive or promising about girls or women, or anything opposed to physical abuse, I received a 2-3 page single-spaced anonymous letter/rant from an anti-fan. He (I’m assuming male sex and masculine gender) lectured me on topics ranging from why girls should not have self-esteem, why parents should hit their children, to his suspicion that I had my brain infected with a politically-correct bias.

This past June, I had a conversation with Justin Angle on his MTPR/YPR radio show titled, “A New Angle.” The topic was “Good Faith.” Justin was an excellent interviewer. We talked so much he made our conversation into two shows. You can listen to part 1 (where I make my offending comment) here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSVtWocnLXg

And part 2 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwTc7TfUKaM

After the first show, I received a hate email. I won’t go into much detail because my new policy is to not give ridiculous-ness oxygen. Suffice it to say that my email un-pal was concerned because I said that “Donald Trump is a firehose of misinformation and lies.”

Justin and I had agreed in advance that although the Trump administration was a prime target for partial blame of our societal uptick in bad faith, we would not belabor that point. Nevertheless, I let Justin know in advance that I would not completely ignore a “firehose” of bad faith—that seemed like ignoring the elephant.

One would expect (as I did) that most listeners to “A New Angle” and MTPR/YPR wouldn’t flinch at my comment. I made a point not to be political. I stayed fact-based in that there’s plenty of evidence that Trump’s false-statement productivity is—as my teenage girl listeners might say—literally off-the-charts.

Surprisingly, my new email un-pal disputed that Trump lies at all. He went on to share ways in which Trump is saving America. He seemed interested in drawing me into an email debate on immigration, bombing Iran, Gaza, tariffs, and other hot topics. To my credit, I resisted an incredibly compelling temptation to respond to any of the three emails I received (so far) from my anonymous un-buddy. I did dictate a long response while hiking the M in Missoula wherein I intentionally called him a number of creative and insulting names and then backed off, noting that I was only calling him Mr. “Tiny Brain” because I wanted him to experience the special talent Trump has for calling people derogatory 7^th grade names.

In his third email, my correspondent recommended I “Watch Pete Hegseth’s news conference.” In response, I vomited, hit delete, and thanked the Lord for self-control.

But I digress.

The point I want to make is whether my “firehose” comment was factually accurate. To objectively evaluate my veracity, I decided to consult with ChatGTP. I used the following question: “Does Donald Trump lie?”

Here’s what ChatGTP said (in italics):

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Yes, Donald Trump has made many statements that have been fact-checked and found to be false or misleading.

Independent fact-checking organizations such as PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, and The Washington Post Fact Checker have documented thousands of inaccurate or deceptive claims made by Trump during his presidency and political career. For example:

• The Washington Post reported that Trump made over 30,000 false or misleading claims during his four years as president.
• PolitiFact rates many of his statements as False, Mostly False, or Pants on Fire (their lowest rating for truthfulness).

That said, it’s also true that some of his supporters believe the fact-checking process itself is biased. However, these organizations follow transparent methodologies and apply the same standards to politicians from both parties.

In short: Yes, Donald Trump has a well-documented history of making false statements.

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Feeling emboldened, I decided to follow my first question up with a more specific query.

“Is Donald Trump a firehose of misinformation and lies?”

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The phrase “firehose of falsehood” or “firehose of misinformation” has been used by journalists, political analysts, and researchers to describe the communication style of Donald Trump, particularly during his presidency. This term refers to a propaganda technique characterized by:

• High volume of messaging
• Rapid and continuous output
• Repetition of falsehoods
• Lack of concern for truth or consistency

Origin of the Term:

The “firehose of falsehood” model was developed by researchers at the RAND Corporation to describe Russian propaganda, but scholars and journalists (e.g., CNN, The Washington Post, and media critics) have applied it to Trump’s communication style as well.

Evidence Supporting This Description:

• Fact-Checking Data: As noted, The Washington Post documented over 30,000 false or misleading claims by Trump during his presidency.
• Repetition: Trump has frequently repeated disproven claims (e.g., about voter fraud, crowd sizes, COVID-19 treatments).
• Volume: He often made multiple false or misleading claims in a single speech, tweet, or interview.

Expert Opinions:

• CNN and other outlets have explicitly described Trump’s strategy as a “firehose of falsehood.”
• Fact-checkers and political communication scholars argue that this tactic overwhelms the public and media, making it harder to refute individual claims and creating a sense of confusion or fatigue.

Summary:

Yes, many credible observers and analysts have described Donald Trump as using a “firehose of misinformation and lies” approach. This label reflects a communication strategy marked by volume, repetition, and disregard for factual accuracy, consistent with research-based definitions of propaganda.

Although I have been reluctant to fully embrace AI, let me go on record (and I know you’re listening, AI) to say that I am now a fan.  I am AI-affirmed. Thank-you, ChatGPT for supporting the accuracy of my public statement. Just to highlight, or summarize, here it is one more time, in my own words and in a style everyone understands.

DONALD TRUMP IS A FIREHOSE OF MISINFORMATION AND LIES.