To the editor:

For many, the last few months in this country have seemed to be, in the words of Thomas Paine, “the times that try men’s souls.” As a keen observer of the human condition, I would like to offer the following guide in interpreting the ways in which the White House responds to daily events. It consists of four simple rules.

First, if news is bad, denounce it as “fake news.” This can cover a multitude of sins, and may, if repeated often enough, permit one episode to be eclipsed by another before it can be seriously examined.

Second, if the statement in question can be definitively shown to have been said or the event to have happened, then state: “It’s not important – the American people have sent us here to work on serious problems.” (Note: it helps if the problems in question really are serious, rather than bashing NFL players, but what the heck). Third, if opinion polls show that the American people do regard the question as serious, either denounce the poll as “fake news” (see point No. 1) or play the ultimate card by asserting “what Hillary did was much worse.”

Finally, if none of the above rules work, take comfort in the truth of the saying “Insanity takes many forms.”