It's lies all the way down

A somewhat mawkish tradition is for Presidents giving the State of the Union to bring out someone to "recognize", either an average citizen who did something amazing, or someone to represent a particular policy need. This year, Trump brought out Philadelphia fourth grader Janiyah Davis. Trump said that Janiyah was trapped in a "failing government school" and he was awarding her a scholarship to transfer to a good school.

Before we get to the main point here, let's reflect on the President of the United States, the person RESPONSIBLE for government schools, not working to stop "failing government schools" but mocking the concept of government schools. Also, the worst Secretary of Education ever, Betsy Devos, was there cheering on the "failed government school" line. Isn't making government schools successful the entire point of her job?

Anyway, aside from that, the story of Janiyah was supposed to show Trump's magnanimity, right? Only problem? It was all a lie.

As the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, Janiyah attends Math, Science and Technology Community Charter School III, one of Philadelphia’s most sought-after schools. It’s a charter school, but paid for by public funds, so Janiyah and the 900 other students don’t pay tuition.

Janiyah moved to the school last year after previously attending a Christian school that did have a tuition. Based on a statement from the principal at Janiyah’s former school, it seems that someone called up the Christian school and asked about students who might need a scholarship. That principal apparently gave the White House Janiyah’s name. After this, Janiyah’s mother got a call inviting them to appear in the gallery during the SOTU.

But what the White House failed to do was to check on where Janiyah Davis was going to school, or if she needed a scholarship. They also didn’t bother to tell her mother why she and Janiyah were being invited to appear, or warn them that Trump was going to turn the camera their way during his speech.

Let's recap. Janiyah doesn't go to a government school. She doesn't pay tuition, and so doesn't need a scholarship. And, after incompetently failing to confirm that she fit their narrative, the f'ing White House didn't even tell her or her mother why she was at the State of the Union. They literally used her as a prop to make Trump look good.

Now if this outrages you, the following tweets by Republican ex-Presidential candidate and former Tea Party'er Joe Walsh should chill your bones.

I spoke in front of 3,000 Iowa Republicans last night. It was like a MAGA rally. I told them we needed a President who doesn’t lie all the time. The crowd booed me. I told them we needed a President who wasn’t indecent & cruel. The crowd booed me. 1/

— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) February 4, 2020

Afterwards, I realized again that my Republican Party isn’t a Party, it’s a cult. I realized again that nobody can beat Trump in a Republican Primary. And most importantly and most sadly, I realized again that I don’t belong in this party. I have no home in this party. 6/

— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) February 4, 2020

The Republican Party is a cult. Said by a terrible conservative who belatedly realizes what he has helped to unleash on America.

In a follow up editorial, Walsh elaborated on his experience.

I was already sensing this, but I was slapped hard in the face this past week at the Iowa caucuses: Last Thursday, the president came to Des Moines for one of his narcissistic rallies. I was in Des Moines, too, so I tried to talk to some folks outside the event before they went in — makes sense, right? Here’s a captive audience of Republican voters. But it turned out to be one of the most frustrating (and frankly, sad) experiences I can recall. I asked dozens of people a very simple, straightforward question: “Has President Trump ever told a lie to the American people?” And every single person said, “No.” Never mind that thousands of his misstatements have been meticulously documented. No, they said, he’s never lied.

HE'S NEVER LIED.

Be very afraid if we don't take back the Senate and the White House this fall.