On Monday, CNN reporter Manu Raju spoke with Republican Sen. James Lankford about the border security bill, and the Oklahoma senator wasn’t happy. “I’m frustrated when people put out intentionally false information,” said Lankford. “I expect more. … I get frustrated when people put out things that are intentionally false, that they know are false, because I expect more of Americans.”
If that’s the case, Sen. James Lankford must spend a lot of time being frustrated with American Sen. James Lankford.
When it comes to telling lies that he knows are lies, there aren’t many who can top him. A few hours after speaking to Raju, Lankford told reporters that he expects to vote against his own bill. That’s far from a unique instance. Whether it’s abortion, the climate crisis, or even 9/11, Lankford is at the front of the pack when it comes to telling lies for political advantage.
A day before Lankford made his complaint about those darn people putting out things that were “intentionally false,” he was co-signing a letter accusing President Joe Biden of forcing Americans to drive electric cars while telling Americans what “stovetops they can cook on.” Which is a thing that never happened.
The same day, Lankford claimed that “All of the 9/11 attackers were present in the US illegally.” Not only is this absolutely untrue, Lankford said it while scaremongering in support of the bill he now intends to vote against. A twofer.
Both of those are small potatoes compared with Lankford’s lengthy efforts to ban the abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol. Lankford brought this issue up again and again, accusing drug manufacturers, the FDA, and even the Department of Justice of lying about drug safety. Even though none of his claims are true.
And when it comes to America’s real existential crisis—human-caused climate change—Lankford is at the forefront of lying. That includes claiming that President Biden is trying to “‘cancel’ traditional energy” and claiming that “this whole global warming myth will be exposed.” Views like that have allowed him to achieve an astounding lifetime score of 6% with The League of Conservation Voters. That’s lower than such notables as Rep. Matt Gaetz and coal advocate Rep. Thomas Massie.
Lankford spent the past week complaining that a party built on lying would not stop lying long enough to let him bask in the glory of having negotiated a bill that gave Republicans exactly what they claimed to want. Now he’s joining them in this latest lie to kill the bill he spent months negotiating.
Lankford is so frustrated with people intentionally lying. Unless, of course, it’s Lankford doing the lying.
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