Editing Demagogue (section)

===Lying===
Demagogues typically choose their words for their emotional effect on the audience, often without regard for factual truth or for potential  danger.<ref name=Logue /><ref name=GilbertLying /> Demagogues are opportunistic, saying whatever will generate controversy and spur public energy. Other demagogues may believe falsehoods they tell.<ref name=Gustainis />

If one lie does not work, a demagogue often adds more lies. [[Joseph McCarthy]] claimed to have a list of 205 members of the [[Communist Party USA|Communist Party]] working in the [[United States Department of State|State Department]]. Then, he announced there were 57 "card-carrying Communists".{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}  When pressed for names, McCarthy said that records were not available to him, but he knew "absolutely" that "approximately" 300 Communists were certified to the Secretary of State for discharge but "approximately" 80 were actually discharged. McCarthy never found a Communist in the State Department.{{r|Luthin|page=282–283}}