Fact-checking Trump's recent Immigration Tweets & the Politics of "Alternative Facts&qu

Generally, there is little use in fact-checking Trump's tweets as there is rarely reason to believe there is anything factual in them. Its a sad state of affairs, but we elected him knowing that. However, "Roll Call" does their due diligence here in a piece that, ...surprise..., finds little of substance in his recent series of immigration tweets. But, as always, knowing that misses the point.

Clearly, Trump is, in part, responding to something he heard on Fox and Friends, or Hannity's show, but that is simply a starting point from which he creates a new narrative that he crafts for those in his base. For instance, his recent tweets are meant to create the impression that there is a new massive wave of immigrants traveling through Mexico from Central America to take advantage of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [DACA] program that many Democrats support. That is BS [untrue just didn't seem to be strong enough], but it is not directed at folks who read fact-check articles. As Biologist Edward O Wilson once said on another topic...“People would rather believe than know.” Its meant to fire up his base and we all better get used to it because he realizes that illegal immigration is the one issue which might get white men without a college education to the polls this November.

And, what is odd, from a factual point of view, is that illegal immigration [as well as the total number in the country] has been declining for years and the number of illegals from Mexico dropped by 1 million between 2010 to 2016.....to the point that the Fresh Produce Industry sees it as one of their major challenges in the future. But, to Trump's supporters, their reality is of a massive new influx of illegals packed with drugs and hell-bent on mischief and mayhem.

#Trump #politics #immigration #news