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so what? they all do that!

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Original Question

in a discussion about the many lies of donald trump, one fallacious arguement that always comes up is "all politicians lie", and i want to know which logical fallacy this most closely resembles

Comments on Question

they never go so far as to say its ok for him to lie, its more like a "it is what it is" and "hes not the only one" kind of scenario


 

I can't identify a fallacy, because I can't identify an argument.


Is the hypothetical person saying, "it's okay for Trump to lie because all politicians lie?" That would be a non sequitur as a lie is immoral regardless of who tells it or how many people tell - therefore, even if 'all politicians lie', it would not be right for Trump to knowingly mislead people with his own statements.

Answers

4

When something starts off with a biased assumed major premise, such as "in a discussion about the many lies of donald trump," it is clear to me the entire discussion is not to inquire as to the truth and not worth any more time.

This could be a Tu QuoQue Fallacy. 

It's a variant ad hominem (guilt by association). "All politicians lie." and potentially a tu quoque whataboutism.  

This resembles Whataboutism . Not a fallacy exactly, but more of a rhetorical strategy.

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