Yes, that’s why there must be legal and social consequences for people who systematically and continuously spread lies. If a democracy is to function even remotely, we cannot let them get away with it, forgive them for their actions, or dismiss them as harmless campaign tactics.

Otherwise, exactly what we are experiencing will happen: political discourse is moving further and further away from its purpose, which is to negotiate compromises based on the exchange of (rational and factual) arguments.

It goes without saying that marketing, charisma, and rhetoric are part of this, but deliberate misinformation is something else entirely.

One example: Trump’s claim during the presidential debate that foreigners eat pets—this is a blatant lie with no basis whatsoever. It is unacceptable that this was not immediately clarified.

Trump has been acting this way throughout his entire career, and he can do so because no one is prosecuting him for it, at least not in a way that would prevent him from doing so. He has already been ordered to pay high fines for defamation, but he will probably never pay them – and even if he did, it would not stop him from continuing in exactly the same way.

Anyone who votes for him anyway is either misinformed because of all the lies or has other motives.