Donald Trump's denial-o-meter

I have a theory about Donald Trump’s acceptance of denials from powerful men in spite of all evidence. It’s a work in progress, so please bear with me.

We saw him accept Putin’s denial of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.

“I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.” -Trump [The Guardian]

We saw him accept Kavanaugh’s account, even though Trump's handlers managed to make him also say Dr. Blasey Ford was credible. He tweeted:

“Judge Kavanaugh['s] testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting.” [Donald Trump's Twitter account]

Now we see him accepting King Salman’s denial of any involvement in the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi

“It wasn't like there was a question in his mind. The denial was very strong.” -Trump [CNN]

What do these three examples have in common? The first obvious answer is that it serves his political motives to believe these three characters. Trump has shown himself to care little for the truth in the face of potential self interest, after all. But is that the only thing?

Here’s where my theory comes in: Trump thinks really highly of himself. He’s the best. No one could be better. As such, he believes that he’s the best at pretty much whatever he want to do, including being a human lie detector.

But there’s more.

He’s also surrounded himself with yespeople who are afraid to tell him things he doesn’t want to hear, and who are afraid of his angry outbursts. Due to their conditioning him, he can’t fathom someone being willing to lie to his face. Who would dare, after all?! He’s the leader of the free world! He has power! The biggest buttons! All who meet him must surely quake in fear of his grandeur and find themselves struck as if by truth serum and incapable of lying!

So, with his self serving nature, belief in his own greatness (which leads him to think he can read people perfectly), and his infatuation with raw displays of power and its ability to cow adversaries, Trump simply can’t fathom that any of these people would be lying to him.

But we saw it at the UN. Other world leaders aren’t struck powerless and laid low by his mere presence. They laughed at his ignorance and bumbling gaffs. They saw him for the clown he is, and some of them have played him as such. Those who have carefully watched him found that the secret to getting him to blindly believe you is simply to tell him what he hopes is true anyway, say it emphatically, and repeat it loudly. He’ll do the rest. Like a puppet.

How embarrassing for our country to have a puppet would-be-authoritarian-dictator being played like a cheap violin by anyone who cares to pick up the bow and sing a pretty song to him. Flash a shiny bauble to distract him and *BAM* you’ve cracked the mainframe.

So there you have it. A man who’s not as smart as he thinks he his, whose fascination with and drive for power has blinded him to obvious distractions and lies, and has been enabled in this blindness by a willing throng in his orbit.