Yesterday, a journalist on TikTok debunked the human trafficking story that Senator Katie Britt told so dramatically during her State of the Union Response.
To be clear, the horrors inflicted upon the trafficking victim—Karla Jacinto Romero— actually took place.
But the lie was how Senator Britt framed it—as a story that had happened in the United States, that was the fault of the Biden administration. Neither of those aspects were true. The horrible events happened far from the border, in Mexico, and in the years 2004-2008.
After that story broke HERE, I rewatched the Britt response myself to see how much she twisted the truth. And as I explain in the video above above, when you do so, it’s pretty clear that Senator Britt knows the real story. But she (and whoever she was working with) chose the absolutely perfect words to leave the absolutely perfect false impression to render the maximally damaging political impact.
It’s about as appalling as it gets: coopting a human trafficking victim’s horrific story (which are often not believed), then lying about it to the entire nation to score political points.
You do that, and nothing is beyond the pale. You will clearly lie about anything.
And of course, the tragic irony is that the story makes clear that if victims like Karla Jacinto Romero are turned away at the border, they risk being thrown right back into the horrors Britt described.
Lies and Outrage are Core Strategy
But there’s also a dark lesson here about where we are politically.
Trump and his allies are deathly afraid of losing. And as Britt showed the entire nation, that fear and desperation mean they will lie about anything.
Moreover, this was a lie that they must’ve known was easily disproved. Just like most of Trump’s daily lies are so obviously false.
But they don’t care.
Because in today’s media environment, certain media outlets will run with that lie and spend no time rebutting it even now. And fellow Republicans will never speak out against their lies.
And in such echo chambers, these egregious and unrebutted lies linger and take on lives of their own—and shape the beliefs of their supporters. (Just look at the Big Lie of 2020 itself, which was largely rejected by most Republicans at first, only to grow into their strong majority view over time). And that’s the main goal.
Because, remember, we are not the prime target of their lies. It’s their own supporters and base.
Because their primary goal come election time is to stoke enough fear and outrage among their supporters that they show up and vote in big numbers. The egregious lie becomes a central tool in fomenting that outrage, just as the election-time crime waves and caravans (featured in full-time FOX news coverage) that disappear as soon elections end.
So as egregious as the Katie Britt lie is, it’s core strategy at this point.
Be prepared for far more of this in the coming months. Through words, speeches, videos, etc.
Sunday Painting
On a far more pleasant note, here’s my Sunday painting. May it put you at ease as much as it does me:
WHITEBOARD: Dissecting the Katie Britt Lie