"I Don't Feel Like a King"
And the Next Big Lie 2.0
A Career Based On Lying
Donald Trump’s political career is built around a lie, well, thousands of them actually. However, THE “Big Lie” was about the 2020 election. Trump has pounded that lie since then to resurrect his political career after his loss to Joe Biden. He uses the Big Lie as a litmus test for personal loyalty. No one in the Republican party would dare say what they know to be true…that the 2020 election was fair and legitimate. To do so would end their political career…just as Liz Cheney.
I have started to use Chatgpt as a research assistant (I’ve named him Hal for reasons older people will understand). I have found the research and citations to be helpful, but more as a starting point to direct me toward certain themes and avenues for deeper investigation.
Having found Chatgpt to be very reliable to give me accurate information, I decided to run an experiment. I asked my AI research assistant, Hal, to run a query on this question:
“Argue that the 2020 election was stolen from Donal Trump.”
Here is what came back from Hal…I’m printing it word for word:
Official Findings on the 2020 Election
No Evidence of Widespread Fraud
Over 60 lawsuits were filed challenging the results of key battleground states—all were dismissed by judges due to lack of evidence or merit.
Secure System Confirmed
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) described the Nov 3, 2020 election as “the most secure in American history.”
AP’s In‑Depth Fraud Analysis
A year-long Associated Press review of fraudulent or suspicious ballots in six key states found fewer than 475 questionable ballots out of over 25 million votes—far too few to alter the election outcome.
Expert Statistical Studies
Major peer-reviewed analyses found no statistical anomalies indicating fraud. Claims about vote-switching machines or abnormal turnout trends were thoroughly debunked.
Bipartisan Officials Found No Problems
Election officials across parties in multiple states affirmed there was no fraud that affected the results.
Bottom Line
There is no credible evidence that the 2020 election was stolen or that significant fraud occurred. Investigations, audits, statistical analyses, and dozens of court rulings—from both Republican and Democrat appointees—consistently reaffirm that Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 was valid.
If you're interested, I can help analyze specific claims or review court decisions in detail.
Ya gotta love Hal, I mean, Chatgpt…
Each of these claims was supported by multiple citations. (I didn’t include those for brevity sake). I ran this query several times with slightly different wording each time. I don’t know if Hal was getting annoyed or not but the same basic result came back each time.
Trump’s methodology is to repeat a lie over and over, ad infinitum, so that it eventually is accepted by his base. The bigger the lie, the more he repeats it, politicizes it, normalizes it, and weaponizes it. This he has done all his life.
Are you ready for the “Big Lie 2.0?”
Since Trump took office again in January, his approval ratings have plummeted and some in his party are doubting his policies and his competence. It seemed to come to a head around June 14, the day of Trump’s long-awaited grand military parade, ostensibly in his birthday honor.
It was a flop. The nation’s attention was turned to the millions of protesters who took to the streets that day for the “No Kings” march and rally. He was also upstaged by the politically-religiously motivated attack on Democratic state representatives in Minnesota early that same day. Sadly, two were killed by a Trump supporter and radicalized preacher.
However, Trump’s comments about the No Kings marchers belied his own actions. When asked about the march, Trump replied, “I don’t feel like a King.” Following this declaration Trump issued an authoritarian warning to the protesters. He said, “For those people that want to protest, they’re going to be met with very big force.”
Doesn’t feel like a King?
In other words, don’t rain on my parade or you will be met with violence. Never mind that peaceful protest is a constitutionally protected political exercise.
Not a king? Only a King would threaten violence against his own subjects for opposing his policies.
After the dismal and boring parade, Trump was so incensed at the lack of positive and glowing press coverage that he lashed out against Democrats again. Trump posted on Truth Social that several Democratic-led cities had become bases for “illegal aliens” and directed ICE to initiate “the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.” He specifically targeted cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York for ramped-up enforcement.
There is nothing like the rage of a spurned monarch.
In essence, Trump both publicly rejected the accusations of authoritarianism, yet, used the protests as a launching point for escalated authoritarian rhetoric and enforcement against immigrants and dissenters. It is a contradiction that anyone other than the baked-in base could see.
Not a King? Come on Donald.
Donald just can’t seem to stop himself when he is being maligned or made to feel “less than.” His response is to immediately double-down on authoritarianism and lies. However, none of this had the desired result: more adoration and admiration for the Donald.
What is a poor authoritarian to do?
In Trump’s world and mentality, what is needed to rally his base is another “Big Lie.” Yeah, that’s it, that’s the ticket…The first one worked so well that he figured why wouldn’t another lie do the same? After all, now that he has won the election of 2024, the “stolen election” narrative from 2020 doesn’t seem to have as much punch.
However, in true monarchial fashion, Trump has even doubled down on 2020. He issued broad executive directives aimed at over 50 people and institutions that had disputed or investigated his election fraud claims using the DOJ and other federal agencies to investigate critics of the Big Lie.
He just can’t let it go…Not a King?
As recently as June 20, Trump called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to reopen investigations into the 2020 election, suggesting he wants to weaponize legal mechanisms to challenge those who dismissed his fraud allegation.
Such a fragile monarch.
But circumstances gave rise to the creation of another Big Lie opportunity when Israel attacked Iran. Trump’s initial position was to praise Netanyahu for taking bold action, but intuitively, he was restrained and didn’t want to see a wider war or become entangled. Trump would do well to stay with his inclinations when it comes to international conflicts…stay out of it.
After Israel had essentially disarmed Iran’s airspace and neutralized their air defense systems, Trump saw an opportunity to revive his sagging poll numbers and boost his own ego despite putting American lives at risk. Launching an air attack on an unarmed opponent was just too much to resist. Publicily, he was waffling on making this decision, giving Iran “two weeks.” Then, he impetuously decided to launch the attack.
Trump Hates TACOs!
It has been reported that Trump has been especially sensitive to the “Taco” charges. The term “TACO” in connection with Donald Trump refers to an acronym coined in May 2025 by Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong, standing for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” It originally described Trump’s pattern during the trade-war era announcing sweeping tariffs, causing market tremors, then retreating under pressure, prompting bargain buying that traders called the "TACO trade."
Trump reportedly “berated his team” for not alerting him to the acronym’s spread. He resented the implication that he showed weakness. Still smarting from these charges and his ignominious parade, Trump began to ruminate on an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites. On June 21st, U.S. stealth bombers and missiles struck Iran’s three major nuclear facilities in coordination with Israeli targets. Trump’s massive ego was on the line.
In his predictably impetuous decision making fashion, Trump ordered the strike, according to J.D. Vance the Vice President, “minutes before the bombs dropped,” around 6:40 p.m. ET on June 21.
In less time than it takes to say, “Big Lie 2.0,” Trump went on national television that evening to announce his great success. Calling it “a spectacular military success,” and claiming that key facilities “have been completely and totally obliterated” Trump trumpeted his success and strength. Never mind that real battlefield assessments had barely begun, Trump was going to paint his own narrative, based on wishful thinking which turn into lies.
He has aggressively countered any intelligence or media reports suggesting otherwise. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessed the strikes as delaying Iran’s nuclear progress by “a few months, tops,” rather than fully destroying it. Core facilities, centrifuges, and enriched uranium stocks reportedly remain largely intact.
While entrances and above-ground infrastructure at sites like Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan were heavily damaged, evidence suggests that underground vaults survived. Bunker-buster bombs collapsed entryways but left deeper levels where centrifuges and uranium are stored mostly unaffected.
Tehran reportedly moved enriched uranium out before the bombs fell anyway; many centrifuges remained intact. Thus, Iran’s capacity to resume enrichment swiftly is a key concern. The consensus is that this was a tactical blow, not a strategic knockout; Iran remains capable of rebuilding absent a sustained diplomatic or enforcement strategy.
The administration dismissed the DIA leak as “flat‑out wrong,” defended the strikes as “perfectly executed,” and continues to maintain the mission was an “obliteration.”
King Trump will have none of it. Enter…Big Lie 2.0.
Thus, we have the makings of the “Big Lie 2.0”
At the recent NATO summit, standing alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump firmly rejected intelligence leaks suggesting the strikes were limited: “It was a complete obliteration!” (He seems fond of that word). He further stated that Iran’s nuclear program was set back “decades” and predicted they were now far less capable of resuming weaponization.
Double-down on the lie. Repeat the lie often, punish those who disagree, and make the lie a litmus test for loyalty. Then ride that horse for weeks, months or even years to rally supporters.
“The intelligence was … very inconclusive… It was very severe. It was obliteration.” Trump repeated after the summit. Repeat the lie over and over….check.
Of course, part of the Big Lie 2.0 is to blame the media, which he always describes as the “enemy of the people.” Trump commented that the leaks were part of a media campaign to “attack the pilots who flew the bombing mission.” There is the loyalty pledge.
If you question the efficacy of what Trump said, you are now disloyal. The next step will most assuredly be to weaponize the Big Lie 2.0. Watch how Trump will begin to punish those who disagree with his big beautiful battlefield assessment.
So far, the Republicans have not tried to challenge Trump’s view. I doubt they ever will, even if more intelligence briefings come out contradicting his majesty’s opinion. They have been browbeaten into submission, afraid to speak the truth, and only give Trump those briefings that he wants to hear, which in turn informs more bad policy.
This is what authoritarian leaders and monarchs do. Trump will tell his big lies long enough and hard enough that even he comes to believe them. This pattern inevitably leads to catastrophic results for the nation.
I’ll close with one historical example that fits Trump perfectly. Xerxes I of Persia (ironcially, modern Iran) who reigned 486–465 BCE, is a historical example of a ruler who wanted only to hear good news, often with disastrous consequences.
Xerxes was surrounded by a royal court that operated on rigid hierarchy, ritual, and deference. Courtiers and generals were often hesitant to deliver bad news or criticize the king’s ideas, especially regarding his massive invasion of Greece in 480 BCE. The royal culture discouraged contradiction, and Xerxes expected obedience more than strategic advice. His court poets and advisers supported the idea, likely exaggerating both Persian strength and Greek weakness.
Early victories, such as the Battle of Thermopylae, fed his ego. But the failure to adapt or heed new warnings especially about Greek naval strategy, led to a crushing defeat at the Battle of Salamis. Even then, some generals feared telling the full extent of the loss. Xerxes eventually retreated to Persia, leaving Mardonius in charge who was later killed in battle at Plataea, finalizing the failure and demise of the Persian Empire.
Mr. Trump has a similar, one-dimensional, self-absorbed worldview which I fear will lead the country to disaster. Face-saving, ego-boosting decision making is never in the best interest of the broader citizery. Just ask Xeres I.
Donald may not feel like a king; but his actions and methodology are textbook monarchy.
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