False equivalences are sly forms of disinformation

The tactic of denial, deflection and deception has been used to defend Donald Trump after his recent indictments

False equivalence – comparing two subjects based on falsehoods or faulty reasoning – has been on full display since former President Trump was indicted on 37 counts for mishandling classified documents and obstructing efforts to retrieve them.

False equivalence is a tried-and-true political tactic of denial, deflection and deception in which the glaring flaws of one politician are minimized by comparing them to more severe and often dubious allegations against others.

In reality, false equivalence is nothing more than a sly, slimy form of disinformation.

Trump’s indictment has generated false equivalencies linked to Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Merrick Garland and Jack Smith: Clinton had sensitive documents on her personal cell phone but wasn’t indicted; Biden and his son took bribes but still haven’t been charged. Obama knew ‘Russiagate’ was a hoax. Garland is Biden’s police dog. Smith is a prosecutorial thug.

House Republicans have filed articles of impeachment against President Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland and who knows who else on the premise they should be impeached because Trump was impeached twice, in their view unfairly.

On Twitter, you are bombarded with posts seething with false equivalence:

“Every political discussion moving forward needs to start with the question of why Biden isn’t subject to the same laws and scrutiny as Donald Trump? – Joey Mannarino, Trump supporter

“One standard of ‘justice’ for the Biden Family. Another for the Trump Family.” – Congressman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio

“Wannabe Dictator Speaks at White House After Having His Political Rival Arrested. –  Fox News chyron under pictures of President Biden and Trump (The chyron was so egregious, Fix News took it down within seconds)

Many of these attacks are plucked from political talking points. Trump and his defenders throw pasta against the wall to see what sticks. They avoid mentioning the 37-count Trump indictment. Instead, they make ‘whatabout’ arguments. They intentionally traffic in false equivalences.

Social media voices who engage in false equivalence appear frequently on cable networks with audiences that eat up what they serve like gooey chocolate candy bars. Well-known false equivalence practitioners get interviewed on mainstream media, where they spread their versions of truth to a wider audience.

These voices attempt, through feverish repetition, to reinforce that Trump, if he did anything wrong, wasn’t alone: The Deep State is corrupt and wants Trump out of the picture. They imply he may not be innocent, but he’s definitely not guilty.

Because four separate investigations of Clinton failed to produce an indictment and the “evidence” against Biden so far is uncorroborated, the purveyors of false equivalence have to paint outside the lines. They boldly say DOJ has been weaponized to pursue Trump; indicting a former President is unprecedented and erodes public confidence in the judicial system; Smith is biased because his wife contributed to Biden’s presidential campaign.

It has fallen to Chris Christie, the former Trump sycophant turned political opponent, to expose these false equivalences. Speaking at a campaign townhall for his quixotic presidential candidacy, Christie offered an alternative equivalence: "How about – blame him. He did it. He took the documents he wasn't supposed to take. He kept them when they asked him to give them back. They got a grand jury subpoena. He refused to comply."

“The bigger issue,” Christie asked, “is this the type of conduct we want from someone who wants to be president of the United States?”

There also was no false equivalence in public comments by Jeffrey Smith, former CIA general counsel, who called comparisons between Trump and others “just nuts.“ “The difference is profound,” Smith said in a televised interview. “In cases where people realize they have classified information, they turn it over right away. Trump demonstrated his intent to keep such information in direct contradiction of the law.”

Using false equivalence as a political hacksaw is a disturbing trend. You expect juveniles, not adults to argue “he did it first”. Experienced adults crouching to such tactics in defense of a man who belittles the judicial system, calls people names and incessantly lies is inexplicable and inexcusable.

There are many forms of disinformation, from deepfake videos to outright lies. False equivalences should be added to this despicable list for posing as legitimate arguments, when in reality they are just attempts to deflect blame and normalize illegal conduct.

Deepfake videos get exposed and lies called out. False equivalences just keep getting airtime.

Gary Conkling has been a newsman, congressional aide and public affairs professional for more than 50 years.