Whoppers

Sometimes when Donald Trump tells a series of obvious and preposterous lies, you're left wondering how he could possibly think anyone would believe him. His recent lies about wind energy are a perfect example.

At a recent rally, Trump claimed that wind power was unreliable because it caused power failures when the wind wasn't blowing (details here). "Let’s put up some windmills," he said. "When the wind doesn’t blow, just turn off the television darling, please. There’s no wind. Please turn off the television quickly."

That is preposterous. Wind is always paired with a traditional source to ensure uninterrupted and full service.

Then, earlier this week, Trump spun a series of absolutely ludicrous lies about wind energy. "If you have a windmill anywhere near your house, congratulations, your house just went down 75 percent in value," he claimed. "They say the noise causes cancer."

Both claims are flat out wrong. Wind turbines do not depress property values, as statistics prove. And the cancer claim is baldly absurd on its face.

Why does Trump tell such obvious lies? Is he so addled that he thinks people will believe him, no matter what? Or does he have such a low regard for honesty that he doesn't even care whether people believe what he's saying?