Gaslighting: from partners to politicians – how to avoid becoming a victim

Controversial picture of President Trump and the First Lady holding an orphaned child following the mass shooting in El Paso.
The White House

Stephan Lewandowsky, University of Bristol

President Donald Trump’s statement on the horrific mass shooting in El Paso on August 3 that killed 22 people and injured 24 covered a lot of ground. From video games and mental illness to the death penalty, the president drew attention to many variables – but not to the semi-automatic guns that are often used in mass shootings. Instead, he claimed that “mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun”. Continue reading