It is awfully fun to mock Donald Trump’s incessant use of orange bronzer, makeup, hairpins, long ties, and oversized suits. Social media has spurned an entire industry that consistently cranks out material on those aspects of the Trump presidency. But it takes seeing him without all the Hollywood effects to understand his motivation for the show. Seen in one light, it is almost understandable. In seeing the real Trump, one can really grasp just how old and out of shape he has come to look. And it actually matters more than just a superficial slap; Trump has always had to be more than human in the MAGA-hive-mind. The more downright dumpy Trump looks, the more vulnerable he is to being considered an old lame duck with less and less fresh material (Though his authoritarian moves since the inauguration make him increasingly too relevant). So it is right to refocus and remember who we are dealing with here.
This guy:
Oh, ouch. Now, to be sure, he is 79 years old, and it is hard for any of us to look all that great at 79 as compared to 20 years earlier – that’s a given. But he uses the makeup for a reason, and it is right in front of you in that picture. (Is that hair almost long enough to call a mullet?)
That is a lot of hydration there, perhaps to make up for the dehydrating nature of the Coca-Cola (That looks like the good stuff, too – pure sugar rather than corn syrup). Maybe more tea and less Coke next time, there, chief.
So he went golfing two days in a row after getting back from Anchorage, destroying all memes about being the hardest-working guy in Washington. He does have a meeting with half the leaders of Europe tomorrow (Zelenskyy, Starmer, Macron, et. al.), and you would think that he would be busily preparing for those meetings, unless he already knows that they are going nowhere. One supposes that it is at that point where golf looks pretty good. It is like he might be telling his pals at the club, “My good friend Vlad isn’t making any agreement anyway, I just have to push this Zelenskyy cowboy back into accepting defeat!”
For a guy who spends so much time on the links, he sure looks pale. Unfortunately, he also looks pretty happy, which cannot be good news. Meanwhile, the rest of the nation can take away what they will about an all-too-human-looking Trump sans bronzer and brassier.
He looks old. Without giving an inch on society’s penchant for agism, it matters. He has to look invulnerable for his supporters. That appears to be increasingly difficult to pull off.
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Trump is a chameleon and a back stabber
Actually … I think he looks better without the orange. He’s human, not a cartoon character. Call me weird, but he really does.
If you don’t have a conscience or any empathy, can’t think. and can’t self-reflect, it must be easy to be happy.
I have always thought he looks relaxed and happy when he’s golfing. At least the look on his face seems unguarded.