If one were to fact check all of Donald Trump’s misstatements, exaggerations, lies, and redefinitions of established traditions before, during, and between his two terms as President of the United States, one would not have enough time to sleep more than two or three hours in a 24-hour period.

From his hyperbolic claim, through his first term Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, on January 21, 2017, that “That was the largest audience to witness an inauguration, period,” even after aerial views showed far fewer people upon the Washington Mall in attendance at Trump’s inaugural ceremony compared with those of Barack Obama.

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Then to what has come to be referred to as “Sharpiegate” arising from Trump’s attempt to cover up his misstatement in September 2019 that the approaching storm, Hurricane Dorian, would hit several Southern states while incorrectly including Alabama. Local weather bureaus had previously reassured Alabama residents that the hurricane would not affect their state. Rather than admit his mistake, Trump showed reporters a weather map, which he altered with a black Sharpie pen, by expanding the possible path of the hurricane to include Alabama.

Most of us have read by now that the Washington Post had recorded 30,573 “untruths” during his first term, which averaged approximately 21 invalid claims a day. The most egregious claim, which had deadly consequences, was the “Big Lie” that he had been swindled out of beating Joe Biden for the presidency in November 2020, which resulted in an insurrection by his staunch supporters upon the Capitol of the United States.

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Trump’s second term is no different for this Misstater-(Lier)-in-Chief. As the lies continue piling up, as he attempts to grab more power and his wealth through grifting soars, he again has attempted to redraw the maps and redefine the definition of “professional.”

He issued an executive order on the day of his second inauguration (January 20) directing U.S. federal agencies to officially change what is called the “Gulf of Mexico” to  the “Gulf of America.” This body of water was given the name “Gulf of Mexico” in the 1550s, derived from Mexica, the Nahuatl term of the Aztecs. This name became internationally recognized.

As part of Donald Trump’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education and its funding to the states — in particular, for special education programs and student college loans. A key provision of Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Law” is reducing or eliminating loans to students who are not enrolled in degree programs classified as “professional.” This change has major implications for students as tuition costs continue to increase and family income has either remained static or has decreased.

The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations states that a professional degree signifies the completion of academic requirements needed to begin practice in a profession. This requires skills beyond a bachelor’s degree – with some involving a master’s degree or a multi-year Doctoral degree — and generally involve professional licensure.

Under the Trump administration, several former professional college and university degree programs have been downgraded to “non-professional.” Even though they generally require advanced training or degrees past a bachelor’s degree, and they also require licensure, by entering these academic programs, students’ risk significantly reducing their loan caps or forfeiting entirely their ability to obtain government loans or grants.

A list of programs no longer defined as “professional” include, but are not limited to the following:

• Healthcare: Nursing, Physician Assistant, Public Health, Dental Hygiene, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Audiology, Speech Pathology

• Architecture

• Accounting

• Education

• Social Work, Counseling

• Engineering

• Business Master’s Programs

It is no mere coincidence that women comprise the majority of practitioners in many of these fields and especially in healthcare, education, and social services.

What we truth-tellers and realism-seekers here on Earth 1 refer to as “Healthcare,” “Food and Shelter Assistance,” “Climate Control Regulations,” and “Education,” the Republicans over on Earth 2 in Congress, in the Oval Office, and on right-wing media define as “Waste,” “Fraud,” and “Abuse.”

The so-called “One Big Beautiful Law” the Republicans recently passed in both houses of Congress (and signed by President Trump) not only redefines and limits student loan programs, it also cuts essential services like the SNAP program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), formerly called “Food Stamps” for people in need of food assistance. Approximately one in eight Americans receives nutrition assistance through SNAP, and most of them are children.

Though the president and most congressional Republicans promised ad nauseam not to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid in the current budget — surprise of all surprises — the House Republicans cut $600 billion from Medicaid and from the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The bill makes significant reductions to Medicaid by imposing work requirements, mostly unreasonable and unrealistic, on many of those receiving benefits.

While taking from the poorest and most needy, the bill provides a multi trillion-dollar tax breaks package with the majority going to the richest among us. The bill makes permanent the $4.5 trillion in enormous tax breaks for the rich, which was passed in Trump’s first regime.

The “Big Lie” so far in Trump’s second term relates to his misrepresentation of how his priorities and policies are raising the economic fortunes of all U.S.-Americans.

“You know, I just might add, this is also the golden age of America, because we are doing better than we’ve ever done as a country. Prices are coming down and all of that stuff,” Trump said during a speech at the McDonald’s Impact Summit in Washington, DC on November 17.

I wonder how many misstatements and lies the Washington Post will accumulate during Trump’s second regime.  

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