One of the more common complaints I’ve heard about the media is that journalists are sometimes reluctant to use the word “lie.” News organizations will point to politicians who’ve pushed “falsehoods” and “deceptive rhetoric,” and media professionals will acknowledge those who’ve made “untrue” claims — but the word “lie” is approached with greater caution.

There are experts in journalistic ethics who can speak to this in more detail, but to summarize briefly, the hesitation relates to foreknowledge: When candidates for public office push arguments that are demonstrably wrong, can we say with certainty whether they know the arguments are demonstrably wrong? Or is it possible that they’ve made a good faith effort to tell the truth but are simply mistaken?

Fortunately, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance keeps offering convenient case studies for journalism classes everywhere.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week, for example, that the Ohio senator and his staff were told his racist conspiracy theory about pet-eating Haitian immigrants wasn’t true, but Vance and Donald Trump kept pushing the baseless claim anyway. They were, in other words, lying.

Just hours after the Journal’s article reached the public, a related example came to the fore. The New York Times reported:

Asked about Haitians immigrants legally working and living in the United States through Temporary Protected Status, Vance criticized the Biden administration for granting that status to Haitians, asserting that the government had ‘illegally’ given them that protection and saying that he would still refer to them as ‘illegal aliens’ anyway.”

In other words, the Republican senator has repeatedly claimed that Haitian immigrants who are living and working in the United States legally are “illegal aliens.” Reminded of reality, Vance said he simply doesn’t care and prefers to simply keep lying.

“If Kamala Harris waves the wand, illegally, and says these people are now here legally, I’m still going to call them an illegal alien,” Vance said to applause at a rally. “An illegal action from Kamala Harris does not make an alien legal.”

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The Republican’s indifference toward reality remains breathtaking.

Did Harris give these Haitian immigrants Temporary Protected Status? No. Is it “illegal” for a president to give immigrants Temporary Protected Status? No. Did Vance care about these details after having been presented with the truth? No.

But just as notable as the senator’s indifference to the truth is his indifference to the law: As far as the GOP’s vice presidential nominee is concerned, these Haitians are here legally, but since he disapproves of the relevant law, he’s decided that they’re not here legally.

With each passing day, Vance’s dishonesty and radicalism becomes even more obvious.