1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

Donald Trump's record of making false and misleading statements is deeply concerning and a profound threat to American democracy. According to fact-checkers, he has made over 30,000 false or misleading claims during his presidency alone, averaging over 20 per day. This deluge of disinformation erodes public trust, undermines shared facts and truth, and makes rational political discourse nearly impossible. While politicians have always engaged in some level of spin, the sheer volume and shamelessness of Trump's lies is unprecedented and represents a disturbing new norm in American politics. Constantly peddling conspiracy theories, repeating debunked falsehoods, and rejecting well-established facts, Trump has constructed an alternate reality that millions of his supporters seem to inhabit. His refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election led to the unconscionable attacks on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021. Even now, he continues to spread the "big lie" that the election was stolen, laying the groundwork for further assaults on democratic norms and institutions. As Americans, we must unequivocally condemn this torrent of deception from our former president. A democracy cannot function when citizens have completely different understandings of basic facts and reality itself is up for debate. Trump's disregard for truth poses an existential threat to the United States. It is incumbent upon responsible leaders, the media, and all citizens who cherish democratic values to firmly reject these lies and hold Trump accountable for his outrageous disrespect for honesty and civic norms. The future of America's democratic experiment may depend on it.