THE THRILL OF THE LIE

The Thrill of the Lie: Why Trump’s Followers Embrace the Fiction

There is no longer any question that Donald Trump lies. He lies daily, flagrantly and unapologetically. He lies when the truth is readily available. He lies when it’s inconvenient when it’s irrelevant, and even when it’s dangerous. His lies are not occasional misstatements or rhetorical flourishes; they are foundational to his political strategy, central to his public persona, and essential to his movement.

One of the more persistent examples is his lie about tariffs. Trump repeatedly claims that foreign nations, particularly China, are paying billions to the United States through tariffs he imposed. This is categorically false. Tariffs are import taxes paid by the American importer who receives the goods, not the foreign exporter. That cost is then passed on to the American consumer through higher prices. It is a tax on Americans, not on China.

This is not an obscure economic theory but a basic and easily verifiable fact. Yet Trump continues to say the opposite, and millions believe him or pretend to. The real question, then, is not why Trump lies. We know why. It benefits him. The real question is why his followers love it.

The answer is both disturbing and revealing because lying has become a thrill.

In Trump's world, lying is no longer immoral; it is performative, entertaining, and oddly empowering. When he lies, and millions repeat it as gospel, they aren't just deceiving others. They’re participating in a communal game of “make-believe” where facts are malleable, and reality is negotiable. They are in on the con, making them feel clever, rebellious, and free.

Inventing your own reality and getting others to accept it is to experience a power usually reserved for gods and dictators. It liberates you from accountability, erases the shame of ignorance, and creates the illusion of control in a world that otherwise feels chaotic and uncontrollable.

Trump’s followers don’t call him out because he isn’t just their leader; he is their avatar. His lies are their lies. His delusions validate theirs. When he declares something false to be true, they cheer, not because they are fooled but because they no longer care what’s real. What matters is that they win the argument. That they own the libs. That their side feels right.

In this twisted new reality, lies are not shameful but admired. Not because they are believed but because they are believable enough to sow doubt, blur lines, and distort the public square. The goal is not truth but dominance, not persuasion but submission.

And in that sense, Trump has pulled off the greatest con of all, not just lying to the American people but making lying itself the new form of truth.

William James Spriggs