As "Lies, Politics and Democracy" (2022 release; 114 min.) opens, we get a montage of losing presidential candidates giving gracious concession speeches, going back 75 years. Then it cuts to Trump: "Frankly, we did win this election", when of course he hadn't. We then go to "Iowa, February 1, 2016" as Ted Cruz wins the Iowa primary, with Trump immediately tweeting "Ted Cruz didn't win, he cheated!!" (without the slightest evidence of same, of course). Even more tellingly, we get snippets from 2012, when Trump tweets that the presidential election (where he had endorsed Romney) was "RIGGED!". At this point we are less than 10 min into the documentary.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from veteran documentarian Michael Kirk, and aired as part on PBS' long-running Frontline franchise. While you may think that this documentary is about Trump (and in part it is, of course), it is in fact a very damning examination of what has become of the GOP in the Trump era. Watch how the Republican Party had a choice to stand up to the bullying, the lying and the trampling of America's institutions by Trump, and then time and again remains silent and simply acquiesces: Cruz, McCarthy, McConnell, Graham, and many others pass the review but let's be clear: it's not just them. It 's the ENTIRE Republican Party that sells its soul in a deal with the devil, and along the way loses any and all last bit of decency and integrity, all in the name of getting raw power. Even after Trump stages (and fails) a coup d'etat on January 6, the GOP Senators cannot bring themselves to convict Trump on his impeachment, despite the ample evidence of his guilt. Look where that has led the GOP now 18 months later: a cesspool of lies, lies and yet more lies, led by the Liar-In-Chief, the Biggest Loser there ever was who couldn't even beat a weak candidate like Biden. I have zero doubt that history will judge the GOP very harshly in all this, and a reckoning will be coming for the GOP, be it tomorrow, or next month, or next year, or in a decade. Shame on them all.
"Lies, Politics and Democracy" premiered a few days ago on PBS, and is now available on PBS On Demand. This documentary is chilling on so many levels, and should be required viewing for all HS and college students. If you have any interest in politics, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.