I was a White House fact-checker. Don’t accept Trump’s attitude toward the truth.

[Commentary] As a research associate in the Office of Communications, I quickly learned some things about the nature of facts in politics. My best advice for the public is for everyone to do a little fact-checking of their own. Listen to exactly what is being said, see if it sounds right to you, and then do a Google search to see if a major piece of context has been omitted. See if you can find a primary source, like the original data source of the numbers they quote, or a transcript or video of a moment they claim happened. Compare the things President Trump says today with the things he said months ago and see where they contradict each other. See where his advisers contradict each other. Read as widely as possible, make your own conclusions, and trust your judgment. Then make sure you start telling people about it, and make sure your voice is heard.

[Meredith Bohen is a former research associate in the White House Office of Communications]