It’s twisted
reasoning: Trump and his allies lie, and many believe him. Asked about
the lies, Vance points to the concerns of those who put their faith in a
man who deceived them, as if their fears necessarily have merit,
reality be damned.
It’s the precise logic we
saw in the wake of the 2020 election, when Republicans pointed to polls
showing a significant number of Americans believed conspiracy theories
related to the race’s outcome. When Democrats pointed to reality, GOP
officials effectively replied, “But look at all of these people who
believe otherwise!”
Pointing to the beliefs of those who’ve been lied to does not make the beliefs true.
-- Steve Benan, "The consequences of post-Helene lies in N.C. go from bad to worse" (MSNBC).