When the White House traffics in misleading information, it has tangible consequences for everyone.

For People, it creates a climate of distrust. When official statements about your wallet, your job, and your daily expenses don't match your lived experience, you begin to doubt everything the government says. This makes it harder for citizens to make informed decisions and participate meaningfully in democracy, leading to widespread cynicism and disengagement. It also fuels political polarization, as people retreat into information bubbles where they hear what they want to believe.

The Corruption Risk skyrockets. If the administration can simply declare its own “truth,” then accountability becomes a quaint historical concept. Policy failures, questionable spending, or even outright malfeasance can be swept under the rug with a mere redefinition of reality. Who gains? Those in power who wish to avoid scrutiny. Who loses? Every single citizen who relies on honest governance. It’s a fast track to hiding inconvenient facts and avoiding responsibility for actions.

This also leads to fundamentally Short-Sighted Decisions. If policy is based on invented economic data or twisted interpretations of events, then the solutions will inevitably be flawed. You can't fix a problem you refuse to acknowledge or accurately describe. This creates bigger, more complex problems down the line, whether it's economic instability, social unrest, or a further erosion of democratic norms. It's like trying to navigate a ship while insisting the ocean is dry.