Yes, Trump's Hate Matters. But His Lying Poisons His Character and Dooms His Presidency.

After his Muslim ban, it's hard to concentrate on anything else. (Don't worry, there's plenty coming.) But let's not forget: It's his near-constant lying that always defines him.

Trump's lies are amplified by his professional liars, hired to obscure the truth.

Actor Sam Waterston steps out of his actor role to call a spade a spade:

The great issue of today is lying — constant lying in public. Lying is the ally of faction and, since President Trump’s rise to power, it is the greater danger. Yes, the word is lying — not negotiation, salesmanship, bluster, attention-getting, delusion, deception, braggadocio, exaggeration, bullying, alternative facts, or any other euphemism. Once, President John F. Kennedy could say that our national problems were no longer ideological but technical. Lying on a grand scale has reversed that.

And it’s hard to keep up. Trump has lied about climate change and the character and motives of refugees, about how asylum-seekers have been vetted in the past and how many have been able to enter the United States, about immigrants, and a long list of other matters. As with partisanship, the more lying there is, the worse it is. And Trump’s alternative facts have meant nasty real-world consequences.

As lying comes easily to Trump, it should come first in every report about his administration. Trump doesn’t lie about this and that, and he doesn’t lie sometimes. He is a liar, a person who lies. This news should be reported everywhere.

Trump's consigliere Steve Bannon has said the media is "the opposition party" and should "just shut up." Media, please don't.