For Trump, language is a weapon; he uses it to deceive, to intimidate, to make himself the center of attention, and to keep people guessing. He doesn’t use it to tell the truth, because for him, truth is an illusion; it is power that matters in all of his relationships.
The tapes episode is a perfect example of this. For the record, I never believed for a minute that any tapes existed. Nor do I believe a word he says until he puts his money where his mouth is.
The sad fact is that we, as Americans, are just going to have to get used to this, and adjust accordingly.