Trump “Logic” = False Syllogisms

Ever wonder why so many Americans are so willing to believe Trump’s lies — and so ready to vote him back into the Oval Office?

Now that Election Day 2024 is only weeks away, that’s a question well worth examining. After spending years trying to figure out why his loyal supporters keep thinking he’s so full of “veracity,” I’ve finally come up with a theory:
It’s not about his lies, it’s all about how he effectively constructs his lies into pseudo common sense conclusions when they don’t make any sense at all.

What makes his shameful mendacity so amazing is how shamelessly he can weave his blatant lies into so many faulty conclusions that can seem, well, kind of believable. He may not be the stable genius he claims to be, but he has truly mastered his own diabolical art of distortion.

Hail, Trump, king of the false syllogisms! And I’ll bet he doesn’t even know that an actual term that defines his distorted, irrational, invalid, and unsound logic exists. Oh, but it does. It’s called a “false syllogism.” If you pay attention, you’ll realize that his communications are rife with these deceptions — as opposed to the accepted logical syllogisms that are grounded in truth…a concept that has always eluded POTUS 45.

So let’s take a closer look at the Modus Operandi behind his reasoning, dear readers. That way, we can better understand how he operates his faulty logic…and why so many voters still keep falling for his con.

What exactly, you might wonder, is a syllogism?

It’s a form of deductive reasoning that uses a major premise and a minor premise to arrive at a conclusion. And, it’s supposed to go hand in hand with logic — which is a system, or mode, of reasoning that is supposed to be VALID, NOT INVALID, NOT IRRATIONAL.

Here are some examples that show how syllogisms are supposed to work. As you read them, pay close attention to the presence of truth and how it completes the thoughts behind these conclusions:

Dogs are mammals.
Lassie the Collie is a dog
Therefore, Lassie the Collie is a mammal.

In the Catholic Church, all nuns are women.
Sister Mary Elizabeth is a nun in the Catholic Church.
Therefore, Sister Mary Elizabeth is a woman.

What makes a syllogism valid?
When its conclusion follows its premise.

What makes a syllogism true?
When its claims are accurate.

What makes a syllogism sound?
When it’s both valid AND true.

But how can a syllogism be false?
When one or both of its premises are false.

Here’s an example of a false premise:
Cats are mammals.
Lassie the Collie is a cat.
Therefore, Lassie the Collie is a mammal.

Yes, cats are mammals. Yes, Lassie the Collie is also a mammal. But Lassie the Collie is a dog — NOT a cat. That’s why this line of reasoning is a false syllogism.

This syllogism has two false premises:
In the Catholic Church, women can become priests.
Sister Mary Elizabeth was ordained to be a priest last week.
Therefore, Sister Mary Elizabeth should now be addressed as Father Mary Elizabeth.

No, women cannot become priests in the Catholic Church.
So Sister Mary Elizabeth could not have been ordained last week.
So her new form of address should NOT have been Father Mary Elizabeth.
That’s why this line of reasoning is also a false syllogism.

See how it’s supposed to work? This observing and analyzing how the mind works has fascinated scholars since the time of Greek philosopher Aristotle and will continue to do so because people will never stop thinking…or arriving at wrong conclusions.

Carefully studying how syllogisms are constructed and used might seem a little boring, even silly. During election time, however, such interested examination can become a tool to gauge the intelligence, judgement, and decision-making process of either incumbent or challenger. In Trump’s case, he’s convinced voters with his skewed usage of premises that his lies really are the truth, especially when it comes to foreign policy and the economy.

Here is Trump’s take on foreign policy:

When I was President, there were no wars.
I’m not President anymore, and there are wars in Ukraine, Israel, — all over the place!
Therefore, when I become President again, there will be no wars — again! — because I can stop wars.

No, that was not a verbatim listing of the comments he keeps giving about foreign policy. It is, though, an accurate depiction of the line of reasoning he’s been giving for the past year. His conclusion in this case also reveals a false syllogism that is inaccurate, invalid, and unsound.

There are so many variables and extenuating circumstances surrounding world warfare that it is absurd for one leader like him to take credit for a peaceful time during his Presidential term. Besides, during Trump’s term of office from January, 2017, until January 2020, there were already conflicts taking place all over the world that he could not — or would not — stop. Furthermore, it could also be argued that he set the stage for imminent global conflicts after he left office.

Remember, he cultivated actual friendships with “strong men,” A.K.A. dictators, Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin, leading them to believe he would play “the useful idiot” for them. He dismantled the agreement that banned Iran’s use of nuclear weapons.(Really bad idea). He also wanted to pull the United States out of the NATO agreement, along with other treaties he believed were costing too much money. War might not have erupted in every corner of the globe when he was President, but it can be argued Trump cleared an easy path for wars to continue or start anew after he left office. His understanding of foreign affairs displays a startling absence of brain power when it comes to how cause and effect operate.

Furthermore, his perception of our nation’s economy shows an alarming lack of understanding about the Constitutional role the U.S. President can play in this matter:

When I was President, the economy was great!
Now I’m not President, and the economy is terrible — we’re all going down a black hole!
Therefore, when I become President again, the economy will be great again — gas prices will drop, food prices will go down, and the cost of living will be affordable for everyone!

So when he becomes President again all our money woes will magically disappear?

Not according to the U.S. Constitution or the financial patterns of the nation’s economy.

According to the framework from our founders, the President’s power is very limited when it comes to our economy. As head of the Executive Branch, a President can get involved in our nation’s monetary matters through encouraging and engaging in discussions among Congressional legislators and the U.S. Treasury, maybe even issuing executive orders — as long as they’re Constitutional ones. That’s about it.

So a President might have influence but no real control. Congress, the bastion of the Legislative Branch, calls the shots when it comes to money and the U.S. economy. Only a dictator would ignore the Constitution and announce that he was completely in charge of pricing.

If Trump knew a little about American history and government, he’d also realize that after any economic slowdown recovers, prices in general rarely return to their lower, affordable levels. Usually, after an economic recession or depression recedes, prices often become more affordable. Historically speaking, though, they’re usually never as low as they once were. So as President, Trump would be remiss in claiming responsibility for making all prices low again.

Unfortunately, Trump’s skewed reasoning includes a lot of opinionated, inaccurate premises that could only be argued and not proven to be true.

In fact, it could be argued that the Trump Administration’s sound economy resulted from all the prudent work and wise economic decisions that were made during the Obama Administration. Of course, Trump would never publicly admit that possibility. Notice how he also avoids bringing up his mishandling of the COVID pandemic and refusal to mandate face mask usage and make vaccines more available. He didn’t reveal how he sent COVID relief to Putin, either. And what about those generous tax breaks he helped give to millionaires and billionaires during his term of office AFTER they’d already gotten tax breaks.

Let’s face it: his decisions adversely affected our economy.

Needless to say, Trump never brings up the things he did or didn’t do that failed miserably, yet he’s always ready to pull out some false syllogism to blame somebody else. Should a guy like that become President of The United States — AGAIN?

This November, dear readers, please vote…But do so carefully and thoughtfully, with the understanding that truthful communication is the hallmark of our democracy.