Trump’s credibility gap is hurting America
Key takeaways
- Trump s credibility gap endangers our national security.
- Trump has alienated our allies with his lies, insults, temper tantrums, tariffs, aid cuts to Ukraine and other nations, and threats to withdraw from NATO and annex Canada and Greenland.
- Growing numbers of people now view Trump s absurd claims as calculated lies at best — or the delusions of a 79-year-old man with declining mental health at worst.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Scott Bolden, opinion contributor - 05/17/26 12:00 PM ET Comments: Link copied by A. Scott Bolden, opinion contributor - 05/17/26 12:00 PM ET Comments: Link copied President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Washington, on return from Beijing where he met with China s President Xi Jinping. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) President Lyndon Johnson s lies about the Vietnam War created what came to be called a credibility gap when millions of people stopped believing him. Today, a credibility gap plagues President Trump because of his whoppers about the war with Iran and much more.
Trump s credibility gap endangers our national security. His hyperbolic rants are so absurd — and his policy flip-flops so extreme — that our foreign allies and adversaries don t believe much of what he says and no longer take him seriously. It s as if the proverbial boy who cried wolf moved into the Oval Office.
Trump has alienated our allies with his lies, insults, temper tantrums, tariffs, aid cuts to Ukraine and other nations, and threats to withdraw from NATO and annex Canada and Greenland. Our adversaries don t fear his threats because he often fails to carry them out. This has generated the insult of TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out).