Maybe the BBC can learn a thing or two about fake news from Trump | John Crace

4 hours ago7 min read3 comments

The political arena witnessed another masterclass in strategic deflection this week when Donald Trump, arguably the most prolific purveyor of political falsehoods in modern history, trained his fire on the BBC, branding the century-old broadcaster 'corrupt' and a font of '100% fake news. ' The sheer audacity of the move was a tactical spectacle, a classic maneuver straight from the campaign war room playbook: when under scrutiny, launch a preemptive strike on the credibility of the messenger.This isn't just a petty squabble; it's a calculated escalation in the ongoing media wars that define contemporary politics. Trump's threat of legal action serves as both a cudgel to intimidate and a signal to his base, reinforcing his long-standing narrative of a corrupt establishment media conspiring against him.The irony, so thick you could cut it with a knife, seems entirely lost on him—a man who has elevated the bald-faced lie to a core tenet of his political identity. To observe him accuse the BBC of fabrication is like watching a arsonist complain about a matchstick.Yet, there's a perverse genius to it. By constantly attacking journalistic institutions, he effectively muddies the waters, creating a environment where his supporters distrust any source that contradicts him, no matter how reputable.This strategy, perfected during his 2016 run and throughout his presidency, has now been exported, with figures like Boris Johnson attempting their own versions. Johnson, however, always lacked Trump's shameless conviction; his lies were often accompanied by a tell-tale smirk, a subconscious admission of the game.Trump offers no such tells. His approach is relentless and devoid of the self-awareness that ultimately undid Johnson.The BBC's own recent stumble with an untruth, which prompted this exchange, feels amateurish in comparison—a clumsy fumble next to a professional's surgical strike. It highlights a fundamental disconnect: traditional media outlets, bound by protocols and corrections, are playing chess while Trump is playing a different game entirely, one where the very concept of truth is the battleground.The consequence of this isn't merely a war of words; it's a gradual erosion of the shared factual reality necessary for a functioning democracy. As the 2024 election cycle looms, this incident is a stark preview of the tactics to come—a reminder that in today's political combat, the most powerful weapon isn't always a policy, but a narrative, and Trump remains its undisputed, if deeply cynical, field marshal.

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