Yesterday, we reported on some ridiculous stuff that Donald Trump had said in an interview with Mike Huckabee, including that the paper towels he threw at Puerto Ricans were “beautiful” and that he has more important things to deal with than making sure people have healthcare, but the biggest and stupidest claim he made was that he invented the word “fake”—or at least popularized its usage. As we noted, the word “fake” has been around for centuries, which means Trump is either an immortal demon or a liar, but the word experts have Merriam-Webster have dug into this a little further.
Those looking to give Trump the benefit of the doubt have suggested that he was using “fake” like “fake news,” which is a term he uses to refer to facts that he doesn’t like, but Merriam-Webster has determined that he didn’t invent “fake” or even “fake news.” In a blog post (via the Los Angeles Times), the dictionary explains that the first uses of “fake news” first popped up in at least 1890, with the fancier-sounding “false news” popping up long before that in the 16th century. Basically, Trump absolutely did not invent “fake news,” despite his claim to the contrary, unless he really is an immortal demon who has been ravaging the planet for centuries in order to prepare mankind for its ultimate doom.