Trump: The man who cried wolf

President Trump was back on Twitter early this morning, complaining about the treatment of his son.

Trump, of course, is referring to reports that surfaced Tuesday, indicating Donald Trump Jr. attempted to collude with a Russian agent.

One problem. While it’s obvious that Trump would want to defend his son, Trump’s use of overblown language hurts his case. For a start, this clearly is not, as Trump assesses, “the greatest witch hunt in political history.”

Examples of greater political witch hunts include the red scare of the 1950s and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Or the spurious 2014 investigation by Senate Democrats into the CIA’s interrogation program. Or John Adams’ Alien and Sedition Acts.

Or Stalin’s purges, for example.

Regardless, the simple point is that by reacting with hyperbolic exaggeration to media pressure, Trump makes his situation worse. Indeed, he renders himself the “boy who cried wolf.” That ancient story from the Aesop’s Fables collection involves a boy who repeatedly lies to his village about an approaching wolf. When a wolf does actually appear, he cries for help but no one comes. The villagers assume he’s lying again. The fable has a clear message: If you repeatedly lie or exaggerate about serious issues, people will stop believing you.

It’s a message that Trump must urgently come to grips with, because the Russia story is only getting worse for the president. Now that the attempted collusion context of Donald Jr.’s meeting with the Russians has become clear, the Russia investigations are going into overdrive. There’s blood in the water, and a need for harder questions, and serious answers.

By crying wolf so often, however, Trump makes it seem like there’s nothing of consequence going on here. And it’s obvious the opposite is true. As the Russia story progresses, the president will need to be composed. If he is not, if he continues on his present approach, he will erode the trust of his base and alienate Republicans in Congress. Albeit for different reasons, these individuals need confidence that Trump is at least telling some half-truths. If he keeps harping on about wolves as new and more negative stories keep spilling out, Trump’s credibility will evaporate.

Trump, in short, needs a far more measured approach to this scandal. Absent that, his existing popularity and legislative agenda will be consumed by the wolf of his own hyperbole.