The Unmanning of Conservatism
In Trump’s view of masculinity, cheap shots replace bravery and hostility replaces honor.
Editor’s Note: This article is one of 50 in a series about Trump's first two years as president.
Donald Trump wants everyone to know that he’s a tough guy. In 2017, the congressional candidate Greg Gianforte “body-slammed” the reporter Ben Jacobs after Jacobs tried to ask him questions about health-care policy. It was a cowardly,, the president of the United States said of Gianforte, “Any guy that can do a body slam, he’s my kind of—he’s my guy.” One could write the comment off as a bad joke, a one-off mistake made off-the-cuff, but it’s entirely consistent with Trump’s fundamental ethos. He’s a bully, and his fans love him for it.
