Lying Liars And The Lies They Tell On The Sunday Shows

It really is that simple.

Trying to ascribe lofty motivations to Republicans has always been a fool’s errand. We’ve mocked elected Democrats in the past when they have waxed poetically about their “worthy opposition” or their “friends on the other side” because it flies in the face of what they are elected to do: represent their constituents.

So, let’s see how these “opposing friends” decided to behave on Sunday.

What’s A Little Incitement Among Friends?

Current Speaker of the House and Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson was on ABC’s “This Week” and “Fox News Sunday.”

On ABC, Johnson was asked about recent comments from Donald Trump’s failson (the blonde one), attributing the attempted assassinations of Trump to Democrats. After host George Stephanopoulos played a clip of it, Johnson’s faux-nice guy “aww shucks” cadence attempted to speak about “lowering the temperature” of political rhetoric while dodging the questions about it.

JOHNSON: I – I don't know what Eric was saying because I only heard just a – a snippet there. I don't know the context. I do know that Eric is very level-headed and a very intelligent person.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You just saw it, sir.

JOHNSON: I saw your clip of it, George. I didn’t see the full speech. We need to all look at these things in full context.

Johnson then did precisely the same equivocating by bringing up bullshit about “Democrats using lawfare” and “Trump has been hounded ever since he came down the escalators in 2015.”

Stephanopoulos again pressed him to condemn this:

STEPHANOPOULOS: So, you're actually repeating the charge. And I don't know what more context you need. Here's exactly what Eric Trump said. “They tried to smear us. They came after us. They impeached him twice. And then, guys, they tried to kill him. They tried to kill him, and it's because the Democratic Party, they can't do anything right. What more context do you need? Do you support that statement or not?

JOHNSON: George, George, I'm not going to parse the language what people say at rallies. I could give you pages and pages of crazy comments by the leading Democrats in this country. That's not what this is about. […]

STEPHANOPOULOS: Isn't that rhetoric the kind of political nonsense you're talking about?

JOHNSON: Look, we’re in an election cycle. This is a silly season, as they say. We're in the – 30 days out from the most fateful election of our lifetime.

“Silly season.” What a perplexingly innocuous way to describe riling up your voter base to very possibly commit violence, either now or in the event Trump loses (again). In Republicans’ imaginary reality, January 6 was just a buncha silly billies monkeying around in the Capitol like a playground. That wasn’t bear mace, it was silly string! It wasn’t bats or flagpoles they beat officers with, it was pool noodles.

It’s infuriating to see the person second in the presidential line of succession be this callous.

Johnson was also asked about JD Vance’s inability to just say Trump lost the 2020 election during last week’s VP debate. Johnson referred to the question as a “gotcha game,” which only makes sense if you think asking you about the color of the daytime sky is a “gotcha.”

Schrödinger’s Election Results

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton also had a hard time answering this very question on “Meet The Press.”

KRISTIN WELKER: We just played it in the open, when Senator JD Vance refused to say that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. I want to put this question to you, Senator, just to put this to rest: Can you say definitively here and now that Donald Trump did lose the 2020 election?

COTTON: Kristen, Joe Biden was elected president in 2020. It was an unfair election in many ways. […]

WELKER: But did Trump lose? Just to the –

COTTON: Joe Biden was elected, Kristen. I mean, there's a process by which we elect presidents. There's votes in November. You have an Electoral College vote. You certify the election. And then you have the inauguration. Joe Biden was elected president. […]

WELKER: As you know, though, I mean, it has been stated that this was one of the most secure elections in U.S. history. But do you just not want to say that Trump lost? Why not just say the simple –

COTTON: Kristen –

WELKER: If Biden is president, can you just simply say, "Trump lost"?

COTTON: Joe – Joe Biden was elected president in 2020.

Imagine twisting yourself into knots trying to explain how Joe Biden won without saying he won, or Trump lost without saying he lost. All because the head of your party and nominee is a thin-skinned narcissist who will throw a tantrum if he’s seen as the loser he is.

Cotton also tried to lie about the federal response to Hurricane Helene, because there’s no low these assclowns won’t stoop to.

Playing ‘Both Sides’ Even In Disaster

Speaking of the federal response to Hurricane Helene, North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis went with a third option on CBS’s “Face The Nation” with Margaret Brennan: Admit North Carolina is getting aid, while still giving oxygen to Trump’s lies.

BRENNAN: Former President Trump claimed the federal response in North Carolina was terrible, and emergency funding is being spent on immigrants. Do you know what he's talking about? […] Is he right?

TILLIS: I think that the President is right to say that billions of dollars is being spent as a result of Biden's failed immigration policies and border policies. However, we have the resources that we need, we're going to have to go back and pass more resources. […] But right now, not yet is it affecting the flow of resources to western North Carolina.

BRENNAN: It is not an effector, to be clear? Okay.

TILLIS: Not at this time.

Brennan then pointed out that Speaker Johnson has said he's not calling people back early to vote to approve necessary funding for FEMA disaster funds. Once again, reality and facts have a way of proving who plays politics with the American people’s lives.

We just hope people realize this on November 5.

Have a week.

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