DAVE ROSS

How many presidents have been as candid as Donald Trump?

Feb 17, 2017, 6:29 AM

We live in a time when it can be very hard to figure out what to believe.

But we did get some guidance during Thursday’s presidential news conference. It came after CNN’s Jim Acosta admitted being puzzled by one of the president’s comments.

“You said that the leaks are real, but the news is fake,” Acosta said. “It seems that there’s a disconnect there. If the information coming from those leaks is real, then how can the stories be fake?”

And President Trump seemed to acknowledge that, for ordinary people, it has become difficult to figure out what’s true.

“The public … they don’t know if it’s true or false because they’re not involved,” Trump explained. “But I’m involved, so I know when you’re telling the truth or when you’re not.”

Ross: Refreshingly outrageous comments from Trump now seem ominous

Now that’s pretty clear.

Before believing a story about the president, we should wait to find out what the president himself says about that story.

And you say, Dave, how can I do that? To which I say how can you not.

There has never been a president who communicates as directly with the American people as Donald Trump. Every morning, just as I’m getting to work, his morning tweets vibrate my left leg. Once upon a time, you’d have to be at least a four-star general to have that kind of instant access to what the president wants you to think. But that is now available to any American with a Twitter account.

And, as President Trump explained, he watches a lot of Television and he knows who is telling the truth.

“I know what was said, I know who is saying it. I’m there,” Trump said.

So the source of the truth about the president is the president. And he can be remarkably candid.

In fact Thursday, after saying he wasn’t going to tell anybody how he’d respond to that Russian spy ship lurking off the east coast, he actually kind of did.

“… the greatest thing I could do is shoot that ship that’s 30 miles offshore right out of the water. Everyone in this country’s going to say, ‘Oh, it’s so great.’ That’s not great. I would love to be able to get along with Russia.”

How many presidents would share something like that about an incident still going on?

So keep your phone in our pocket, wait for the truth to vibrate your leg, and relax.

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How many presidents have been as candid as Donald Trump?