What did Donald Trump do today?

He tried to have it both ways.

Trump has spent much of the week doubling down on his racist tweet that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and other women of color in Congress should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came." He defended himself by saying that "many people agree with me."

Last night, at a campaign rally, some Trump supporters who apparently do agree with him chanted "send her back" when he mentioned Omar, a Somali-American congresswoman who as a child fled that country's civil war. He paused his speech and nodded as the chant rang out, for thirteen seconds.

Today, Trump—under pressure from horrified Republicans—said he'd tried to stop the crowd, although he added that "it was quite a chant." Video of what he actually did exists.

It's pretty common for Trump to tell people not to believe their own eyes, and the fact that something is on videotape doesn't mean Trump will admit it exists—even if he's previously admitted it does.

The "send her back" chant came on the same day that Trump lied that Omar had supported al-Qaeda, and told reporters "I hear she was married to her brother."

Why should I care about this?

• Asking people to support the leader by pretending they believe obvious lies is what authoritarians do.

• So is dehumanizing people by accusing them of disgusting behavior or siding with the country's enemies.