„Gaslighting“ — malicious actions taken to make others question reality — is a term that firmly entered the public consciousness during the 2016 election. And on the morning of March 25, I was gaslit on live television for all to see. In one surreal moment, a supporter of Donald Trump’s campaign confronted me on CNN with a National Enquirer story about sexual affairs. There wasn’t a shred of evidence connecting me to the story, but the Trump supporter used the national platform to ask me to „denounce or confirm“ an affair I never had. When this happened, I watched my entire career — as a Capitol Hill reporter, an author, a high-profile Senate aide and a CNN contributor — flash before my eyes. I knew full well how a story like this, though untrue, could damage a woman….. (Amanda Carpenter/CNN)

Taken in tandem with now known Russian engagement in undermining the US democratic process (now expected to be used against many nations/allies), this horrid tale by Amanda Carpenter introduces the term „gaslighting“. It is an equivalent descent of the US group into outrageous ganging up on targets set up for them to hate.

Yes, as we have long indicated, absolute hate-filled masses wittingly committed themselves to savaging others. The hate-filled used unfiltered social media to attack targets en masse, do/say awful things without evidence just to vent their total ire and hatred for government and politicians. Thus, this election cycle injected ka-ka to hurt good, loyal, often hard-working people trying their best to work for a better US.

Trump was champion of those manipulating these hate-filled – against minorities, Muslims, Syrians, Mexicans as well as China, Japan. He fed this base all the red meat he could and they loved the attention. The White Supremacists were also courted by right fist-clenched Trump. His campaign was undermining order, stability, democratic ways and, with Russia’s help, he won.

Thus, as with Amanda Carpenter, America lost. Now, armed with overly delayed intel reports, we begin rebuilding/strengthening for the future. Trump has now been exposed as a loser, his honeymoon period may not even last until his inauguration.

Jerrold Atlas, Psychohistoriker, Vermont/USA

„I was gaslit on live television“ (Recollection/CNN)

P.S.:“CNN correspondents and commentators experienced the 2016 presidential election in unique and interesting ways. This recollection and others were produced in conjunction with CNN’s election project, „A Race Like No Other: The Unprecedented Election of 2016.“