This article details how Donald Trump's disregard for truth creates an asymmetric advantage over critics and institutions like the BBC, whose recent journalistic misstep played directly into his 'fake news' narrative. It highlights the crucial need for impeccable integrity in holding him accountable, while identifying the Jeffrey Epstein scandal as the rare instance where Trump faces a level playing field, a prospect that deeply unsettles him.
The article posits that confronting Donald Trump involves 'asymmetric warfare' because he operates without conventional regard for truth, having made tens of thousands of false or misleading statements. This gives him an inherent advantage over critics, such as the BBC, who are bound by the expectation of truthfulness. The BBC's Panorama program recently apologized for a deceptive edit concerning Trump's speech before the January 6th Capitol riot, which, despite the program's broader message, undermined its credibility. This slip, the author argues, is a 'gift to Trump,' enabling him to dismiss legitimate scrutiny as '100% fake news.' The piece emphasizes the critical role of the BBC's 'bulletproof' integrity in maintaining a shared body of facts in Britain, preventing the tribalization of truth witnessed in the US. It also notes that Democrats face similar disadvantages, often compromising due to values Trump disregards. However, the article identifies the Jeffrey Epstein scandal as a unique exception. New documents suggesting Trump's potential knowledge of Epstein's abuses challenge the QAnon-fueled beliefs of some of his base, who expected Trump to expose such a 'deep state' cabal. This specific issue creates a 'level battlefield' for Trump, as his usual tactics of denial are less effective against this particular narrative, and the prospect 'terrifies him.'
