Trump and Republicans have no qualms about using false numbers about everything including the economy and the effects of tariffs to justify their action. But sometimes those numbers are so obviously false that one wonders how they could say them with a straight face.

Take for example, Trump claiming that he has reduced prices. He throws around random large numbers for the size of the reductions , saying that they are 500%, 1000%, 5000%, and so on, adding that “No one has seen numbers like that”. There is a good reason that no one has seen numbers like that since anyone who is even barely numerate would know that you cannot reduce the price of anything by more than 100% since a reduction of 100% would make it free.

You would expect that Mehmet Oz, who used to be a heart surgeon (and reputedly a good one) before he went on to become a TV personality peddling all manner of dubious health advice, would know better. But this newly minted Trump fanboy tried to explain away Trump’s absurd numbers using absurd arguments.

NBC’s Kristen Welker pointed out in an interview Wednesday night that Trump has repeatedly mentioned cutting drug prices by more than 100 percent, even throwing out mathematically impossible figures such as “1,200; 1,300; 1,400; 1,500 percent.” Welker asked Oz if making cuts of 100 percent or higher would essentially make drugs free.

“Is that a realistic goal from the president?” she asked. The former TV host failed to clear things up.

“The president does the calculation by saying, ‘OK, if a drug was $100 and you reduce it to $50, it’s 100 percent cheaper because you’re taking $50 off and left with only $50, so the amount you took off the price is equal to the amount that’s left. They’re equal so it’s 100 percent,” Oz replied.

Walker reminded Oz that Trump threw out 1,500 percent as one figure, and Oz doubled down in his reply.

“Well, if you take a drug that is $200 or $240, like we did last week, and reduce it to $10, those are the numbers you’re talking about. That stated, the bigger question we should be asking ourselves is why didn’t we do this earlier?” Oz said.

But even beyond that ridiculous argument, Oz also fails the basic test of recognizing absurd numbers, as can be seen during a press conference touting the reductions in prices of weight loss drugs.

Oz initially stated that those agreements could help Americans lose a collective 125 million pounds by the 2026 midterms. He later adjusted that number – by a staggering amount.

“We thought it was 125 million pounds,” Oz said. “Mr. President, our estimate, based on the company numbers as well, is that Americans will lose 135 billion pounds by the midterms.”

The Census Bureau’s latest estimate placed the current U.S. population at 342 million. Going off that number, every American would need to lose about 394 pounds over the next year to hit Oz’s figure.

And if the the group was limited to the estimated 146.9 million people on Medicare and Medicaid, each individual would need to lose an average of 900 pounds.

The nationwide weight-loss goal Oz mentioned Thursday would be significantly more realistic if he intended to say 135 million, rather than billion. Americans on Medicare and Medicaid would only need to lose nine-tenths of a pound each for a collective loss of 135 million pounds.

Ah, but a loss of nine-tenths of a pound over a year is hardly something to crow about. So Oz went with the higher figure even though anyone with a basic knowledge of arithmetic would immediately know it was rubbish.

Trump has been spewing out these bogus numbers about the reductions in prices several times. A reduction in drug prices of even 25% would be impressive and 50% would be staggeringly good. I am certain that someone in his circle would have told him that his numbers make no sense but he does not care. He, like Oz, thinks big numbers are more impressive, even if they are absurd.

They clearly have contempt for the intelligence of the public.