For Trump, and to a greater degree, his party, lying is strategic. I have mused about Trump and whether he is more Tommy Flanagan or Gregory Anton, but for the party, it doesn't really matter because they are the ones directly on the ballot, and they are the ones following his lead and taking notes. If the GOP holds onto the House and the Senate, the party won't read it merely as an indication that a strong economy can overcome other headwinds, like a President who is now only somewhat rather than tremendously unpopular. Rather, they will read it as a vindication of the strategy of lying at all times about all things, the way Trump does.
This is, as I have argued, the single most dangerous thing going forward. In a society without truth, anything is possible. You can do anything if you can lie about it and get away with the lie. Anything. There are no checks, no balances, no structures and no processes that mean anything in a world without truth. This is why there is nothing more dangerous than Trump's constant lying, combined with constant demonization of the press, which provides the only possible check on his lying.
Remember, if you can get away with lying, you can get away with anything by lying. 2018, and then 2020, are tests of how far you can get with just straight-up lying. So far, the indicators have not been encouraging.
