Trump trends as #MostUnmanlyPresident after Naval War College professor calls him a 'vain, cowardly blowhard'
President Donald Trump, on Monday, May 25, was deemed "the least masculine man" to be elected president in modern history in a scathing op-ed by a conservative professor at the Naval War College. Shortly after the op-ed was published in The Atlantic, thousands of social media users took to Twitter to quote paragraphs from the article, making "Most Unmanly President" a top trend on the micro-blogging site used frequently by Trump.
The professor from Rhode Island, Tom Nichols, in his op-ed, wrote that he was baffled observing that blue-collar white men continue to support Trump despite the Republican being the opposite of the ideals and standards they have set up for themselves. "Since his first day as a presidential candidate, I have been baffled by one mystery in particular: Why do working-class white men—the most reliable component of Donald Trump’s base—support someone who is, by their own standards, the least masculine man ever to hold the modern presidency?" the professor wrote in his op-ed.
"Courage, honesty, respect, an economy of words, a bit of modesty, and a willingness to take responsibility are all virtues prized by the self-identified class of hard-working men, the stand-up guys, among whom I was raised,” he wrote. “And yet, many of these same men expect none of those characteristics from Trump, who is a vain, cowardly, lying, vulgar, jabbering blowhard."
The professor goes on to explain how he himself is not particularly "manly," and does not meet the standards of most Trump supporters. However, he points out that neither does Trump, according to him.
"I freely accept that I do not pass muster by the standards of most Trump supporters," he wrote. "Again, what intrigues me is that neither should Trump. 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."
Nichols, in the article, wrote that he believes Trump's most damning aspect is his refusal to take responsibility for his actions, and called him a "blamer."
"In this category, he exhibits one of the most unmanly of behaviors: He’s a blamer," Nichols wrote. "Nothing is ever his fault. In the midst of disaster, he praises himself while turning on even his most loyal supporters without a moment’s hesitation. Men across America who were socialized by team sports, whose lives are predicated on the principle of showing up and doing the job, continually excuse a man who continually excuses himself."
The op-ed received rave reactions from Twitter users as they shared its link early morning Monday with their own comments added to it. One user wrote: "Pretty sure both Roosevelts would have kicked Trump's ass. And one of them was in a wheelchair."
While another said: "There is no bigger or slower-moving target than the weirdness of Donald Trump, but this is great by @RadioFreeTom on the contradiction between the macho paladin Trump's supporters perceive, and the whining toddler they're looking at."