I REMEMBER IN LAW SCHOOL, explaining to a classmate that despite her fears, the “Doomsday” clock is just a prop, and its advance or retreat reflects nothing more than the decision of a group of people with an agenda. Thanks to Trump, the Doomsday Clock Advances Toward Midnight. This came as a shock to her, though to her credit after a moment’s thought she realized that of course it was true.

Or as Brendan O’Neill put it on Facebook: “The same media attacking Trump for making stuff up is now excitedly reporting that a bunch of scientists have moved the imaginary hand on an imaginary clock half-a-minute closer to an imaginary apocalypse. #fakenews.”