Here's Why Donald Trump and JD Vance are Opting for a ‘Say Anything Make Up Anything’ Campaign Strategy

The 2024 presidential race is unlike any other. Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have adopted a brazen 'say anything, make up anything approach' to campaigning. Vance recently made waves with a shocking admission on CNN. When challenged about spreading baseless rumors, he declared, "If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do." The rumors referenced involved the unfounded claims he had asserted about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Ohio.

The made-up stories prompted bomb threats, with schools having to evacuate in Springfield. Despite the escalating situation in the state and backlash online, Vance doubled down on his claims, arguing that it was important to get the media's attention. Trump has also enthusiastically embraced this approach. He made over 30 false claims on topics ranging from inflation to immigration during a recent debate. He repeated the debunked Springfield conspiracy theory on national television, stating, "In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in [immigrants], they're eating the cats."

This blatant disregard for truth harkens back to Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway's infamous 'alternative facts' comment in 2017. As Kurt Bardella, a Democratic strategist, notes, "It's a logical continuation of what once was called 'alternative facts' by the same camp. It's obvious that is a long-term mission statement, more than just an offhand comment." The Trump-Vance ticket seems to believe inventing outlandish stories gives them a better chance of winning than discussing real policy issues. "Their entire strategy is to say anything, make up anything, invent false narratives to try and distract away from the very real consequences of their radical and extreme agenda," Bardella explains.

This approach builds on Trump's long history of dishonesty. He has made over 30,000 false or misleading claims during his presidency, according to The Washington Post. His biggest lie that the 2020 election was 'stolen' culminated in the January 6 Capitol attack. Trump has even embraced far-Right conspiracy theorists like Laura Loomer on the campaign trail.

Vance, for his part, has defended his comments while admitting he never fact-checked the pet-eating claims. "The media has a responsibility to fact-check," he declared at a Wisconsin rally. Charlie Sykes, a conservative author, warns this mentality is dangerous. "It underlines the degree to which Trump, Vance, and the Maga movement are addicted to these fake online internet memes and are unshakeable in their attachment to them. Even when they are refuted, they stick with them."

Trump's falsehoods have only increased. CNN fact-checkers recently listed "12 completely fictional stories" he's told in the past month alone. These range from claims about Kamala Harris reintroducing the draft to made-up stories about children getting gender surgeries without parental consent. Michael Steele, former chair of the Republican National Committee, sees desperation in Trump's escalating lies. "There's nothing worse than a desperate man. There's nothing worse than a desperate racist man who cannot control the woman in front of him who happens to be African American."