Presidents lie all the time. Really great presidents lie. Abraham Lincoln managed to end slavery in America partially by deception. […] Franklin Roosevelt lied about the U.S. position of neutrality until we entered World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor. […] Ronald Reagan lied about Iran-Contra so much that it now seems like he was honestly confused. Politically, the practice of lying is essential. The presidency is not a job for an honest man. It’s way too complex. […] Expressing outrage over a president’s lack of honesty is like getting upset over a sniper’s lack of empathy: It’s an integral component of the vocation.

Chuck Klosterman, I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined) (2013)