Trump Vows to Save Nation from ‘Dire Threats’ That Only Exist in His Mind,” Says Paul Krugman
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Former President Donald Trump continues to push false narratives to rally his base, according to Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. In a recent column, Krugman criticized Trump’s claims about President Joe Biden withholding federal aid from right-leaning states and communities, calling it a “lie” designed to exploit national disasters for political gain.
Krugman highlighted Trump’s assertion that Biden, along with North Carolina’s Democratic governor, is deliberately avoiding providing aid to Republican areas. “He’s trying to exploit the natural disaster for political gain, claiming he heard that the federal government — Biden — and North Carolina’s Democratic governor are ‘going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas,’” Krugman wrote.
However, this claim has been refuted by governors from both parties, including Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who dismissed the allegations. Despite these denials, Trump’s false narrative found traction with some of his supporters. At a recent event in New York focused on public perceptions of the economy, a protester echoed Trump’s baseless accusation, loudly shouting the same misinformation.
Krugman suggested that Trump’s campaign is increasingly reliant on fabricated stories to maintain its appeal. “Trump’s campaign rests heavily on made-up stuff,” he said, adding that the former president appears to believe that he needs fresh material as his previous claims are losing their impact. Krugman described Trump as a “true innovator in political dishonesty,” going beyond typical political manipulation to create what he called “a whole dystopian fantasy world.”
According to Krugman, Trump is attempting to convince his supporters that America is on the verge of collapse, with a failing economy and rampant crime, despite evidence to the contrary. This tactic, he explained, resonates with Trump’s pattern of making his followers believe that “terrible things are happening somewhere out there,” even if those issues are not directly affecting them.
Krugman concluded that Trump’s relentless spreading of falsehoods, especially regarding Biden, is a calculated effort to tap into his base’s anxieties and redirect their frustrations for political advantage.
