Donald Trump likes to bend the truth.
He bends the truth so far, the Wrigley Brothers asked Trump to join the team as a contortionist. Donald Trump: billionaire, president, contortionist. It has a sort of ring to it, doesn't it? The blatant lies he spews, however, use language strategically. While his message is loud and clear, Trump remains without fault when what he says is taken in its literal sense.
For example, while speaking about the need for a border wall, Trump says that Mexicans in the U.S. are "..bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
When heard, we understand that Mexicans in the United States are bad people as a whole. They are rapists, after all! Trump's intent is evidently malicious, drenched with a decisively angled us-vs.-them tone. However, when Trump adds the sneaky assumption at the end, he ultimately withdraws all previous fault. The meaning remains, but Trump is blameless.
Even when President Trump is blatantly caught red-tongued, his supporters view as relatable. Just locker room talk. No need to be angry, our boy was just talkin' like a boy. "Grab them by the pussy" became further evidence that Trump is human and should not be held accountable for something he said in confidence.
However, like calling Mexicans rapists, words are not without consequence. Even when blame is retracted, their effects remain.
Words are strong. They have the power to build, inspire, and destroy. We must hold those in power accountable for the destruction they cause and remember that through our words, we have the power to create change as well.