Organised crime, Russians, the New York luxury property business - wouldn't it be bizarre if there was an overlap?
Not really. I may be communicating poorly.
You can assert that he is a compulsive liar, but that doesn't make it so. Most of the things he lies about do seem to be trivial and stupid.
People are tribal and will inevitably rationalise for their own side. Very few people have the time to look into any of this stuff at anything but the most surface level.
Yes
Depends on the circumstances. Generally not, but then the circumstances are very different. You seem to be labouring under the mistaken belief that I think Trump is a good, psychologically normal person. I don't think a normal person is likely to make it through the mud you need to wade to to become President. I expect all politicians at that level to lie when it is pragmatic to do so.
My upbringing wasn't particularly strict, but honestly... if I wanted my children to battle their way to a position like Trump's, I would be raising them very differently and probably wouldn't like them half as much.
Except that he has given half a dozen other versions of how the decision was made. Why are we picking this version as the truth and the others as false? The multiple contradicting statements are part of his Teflon coating.
Or he has been successful because that lying behavior has other benefits in other settings, like conning Trump University recruits.
The vast majority of people lack the time and inclination to form an informed opinion about politics and tend only to consume media from their own camp except for snippets of opposing opinion selected by their own side to mock. Trump has discovered a new way to game this system.
GOP Congress will let him get away with the impeachable offense. They need to take away voting rights from minorities and cut taxes for the rich after all. Priorities.
