Donald Trump has never had much trouble looking people in the eye and saying whatever he believes will move a situation toward the outcome he wants. That isn’t unique to him—politicians across the spectrum have done the same for decades—but it seems like many people have forgotten that reality. That said, I wouldn’t go so far as to claim everything he says is a lie. During his first term, I believe many of his actions were at least intended to move in what he saw as the national interest. What’s changed, in my view, is the last several months. Something about the direction of his decisions and priorities feels markedly different. Whether that’s political pressure, alliances, or broader geopolitical influence, it increasingly appears that the outcomes being pursued are not aligned with what many Americans would consider the national interest. You don’t have to believe every statement is false to question whether the trajectory of recent actions is serving the country first.