Donald Trump has delivered more speeches in recent days than he’s accustomed to giving, and the fatigue may have taken a toll on his messaging. For example, this was part of the president’s pitch in Cleveland last night:
“Promises made, promises kept. You know, I’ve actually kept more promises than I’ve made. When did you ever hear that from a politician? Maybe never. Never.”
Well, I imagine we’ve never heard that from a politician because it’s literally impossible. Trump has kept more promises than he’s made? Huh? A prerequisite to keeping a promise is making a promise.
Sure, plenty of his boasts are strange, but this one was a special treat because it failed as a matter of fact and logic.
Complicating matters, of course, is the fact that this isn’t an area about which the president should feel confident. Indeed, as we discussed last month, the idea that Trump has honored his campaign pledges is folly.
Remember when Trump promised to get Mexico to pay for a border wall? How about his promise to shrink the deficit and balance the budget? Or maybe his assurances that he’d repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with something that would cover everyone at a lower cost? Or how about his vow to push a $1 trillion infrastructure package? Each of these promises were pillars of Candidate Trump’s message, and each have been broken. Trump said he’d shield entitlements from cuts. He said he’d improve the United States’ international standing. He said he’d release his tax returns. He said he’d reform the tax code and ask the wealthy to pay more. He said he’d combat corruption in D.C. and reduce the influence of special-interest lobbyists. Trump may be convinced he’s kept more promises than he’s made, but the question he should consider is whether he’s broken more promises than he’s kept.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
