Even though he loves to portray himself as the ultimate “alpha male,” President Donald Trump is actually the exact opposite, according to Tom Nichols, a professor at the Naval War College.
In an op-ed he wrote for The Atlantic, Nichols notes that he’s confounded by why working-class white men support a president who acts not like a man, but a little boy:
“And yet, many of these same men expect none of those characteristics from Trump, who is a vain, cowardly, lying, vulgar, jabbering blowhard. Put another way, as a question I have asked many of the men I know: Is Trump a man your father and grandfather would have respected?”
Nichols also points out that he too doesn’t meet the stereotype of maleness that many men consider to be “macho” or “manly.” But neither does Trump:
“I am not particularly ‘manly.’ I wear Italian shoes with little buckles. I schedule my haircuts on Boston’s Newbury Street weeks in advance. My shower is full of soaps and shampoos claiming scents like ‘tobacco and caramel,’ and my shaving cream has bergamot in it, whatever that is. And I talk too much.
“As the writer Windsor Mann has noted, Trump behaves in ways that many working-class men would ridicule: ‘He wears bronzer, loves gold and gossip, is obsessed with his physical appearance, whines constantly, can’t control his emotions, watches daytime television, enjoys parades and interior decorating, and used to sell perfume.'”
When it comes to verifiable proof of Trump’s cowardice, Nichols points to the fact the the president has two phobias: Powerful men — i.e. Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he cowers to — and strong, intelligent women such as Hillary Clinton and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi:
“Trump never seems more fearful and insecure than when women question him. His anxiety at such moments—for example, when he calls on female reporters in the White House press room—is palpable.”
Having laid out his premise with his examination of Trump, Nichols comes to a compelling conclusion: Trump’s lack of masculinity is caused by a lack of maturity: “He is not manly because he is not a man. He is a boy.”
“Donald Trump is unmanly because he has never chosen to become a man. He has weathered few trials that create an adult of any kind. He is, instead, working-class America’s dysfunctional son, and his supporters, male and female alike, have become the worried parent explaining what a good boy he is to terrorized teachers even while he continues to set fires in the hallway right outside.”
Exactly! Tom Nichols should be thanked for reminding us that men don’t blame others, aren’t fearful of strong women, and act like adults, not spoiled toddlers. Donald Trump is incapable of being a man because he’s been allowed to act like a child his entire life.
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