Ten days ago Trump displayed a photograph in the Oval Office of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s left hand to highlight the tattoos on each of his knuckles—a marijuana leaf, a smiley face, a cross, and a skull, which the White House insists is code for the Venezuelan gang MS-13. The photo Trump held had “M,” “S,” “1,” and “3” photoshopped into the image above each finger to explain the supposed symbolism.

When Jonah Goldberg and others complained that the president was misleading the public by relying on doctored evidence, Trump apologists scolded him for believing that anyone could be so stupid as not to realize that the “M,” “S,” “1”, and “3” were superimposed to explain what Abrego Garcia’s tattoos represent. Except someone was that stupid, it turns out: The president was, per his exchange with Moran.

I don’t think he’s lying this time. I suspect one of his toadies handed him the photoshopped image without explanation, perhaps assuming that he would understand at a glance that the letters and numbers had been added digitally, and Trump took it at face value. He did his own research—or relied on the “research” his aide did for him, at least.

Remember the George Costanza rule: It’s not a lie if you believe it.

Nick Catoggio