An "interesting" take on Trump, his obsession with Obama, Trump's lies and how it might best dealt with - from by Edward Luce, writing in The Financial Times (behind a paywall).
"The White House is now the source of "Elvis Presley faked his death"-type stories. In the past week, rightwing websites have published stories that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is about to arrest Mr Obama for illegal wire-tapping, that a Floridian drug dealer whom Mr Obama pardoned had murdered his girlfriend, and that Mr Obama is plotting a coup to overthrow Mr Trump.
On Tuesday Mr Trump tweeted that 122 Guantánamo Bay prisoners who had been released by Mr Obama were back on the battlefield. It was wildly inaccurate. Of the 714 former Guantánamo prisoners who have been transferred, 121 are fighting again - all but eight of whom were released by George W Bush. None of this can be laughed off. Millions of Americans believe such stories. More will come.
The question is where it will lead. Mr Obama has remained silent. It would be better if he kept his powder dry. At some point, Mr Trump will provoke a genuine constitutional emergency. It could be in response to an actual terrorist attack or to a fake one. Or it could come about as a result of Mr Trump's escalating battle with the "deep state" of intelligence agencies and bureaucrats whom he alleges are working with Mr Obama to destroy his presidency.
Trigger point
Whatever the trigger, it will come. At that point, Mr Obama should combine with all living former presidents, including George Bushes junior and senior, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, to defend America's constitutional liberties. It will be all the more powerful if each has kept his counsel until that point."
"The White House is now the source of "Elvis Presley faked his death"-type stories. In the past week, rightwing websites have published stories that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is about to arrest Mr Obama for illegal wire-tapping, that a Floridian drug dealer whom Mr Obama pardoned had murdered his girlfriend, and that Mr Obama is plotting a coup to overthrow Mr Trump.
On Tuesday Mr Trump tweeted that 122 Guantánamo Bay prisoners who had been released by Mr Obama were back on the battlefield. It was wildly inaccurate. Of the 714 former Guantánamo prisoners who have been transferred, 121 are fighting again - all but eight of whom were released by George W Bush. None of this can be laughed off. Millions of Americans believe such stories. More will come.
The question is where it will lead. Mr Obama has remained silent. It would be better if he kept his powder dry. At some point, Mr Trump will provoke a genuine constitutional emergency. It could be in response to an actual terrorist attack or to a fake one. Or it could come about as a result of Mr Trump's escalating battle with the "deep state" of intelligence agencies and bureaucrats whom he alleges are working with Mr Obama to destroy his presidency.
Trigger point
Whatever the trigger, it will come. At that point, Mr Obama should combine with all living former presidents, including George Bushes junior and senior, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, to defend America's constitutional liberties. It will be all the more powerful if each has kept his counsel until that point."
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