Calling Out a Would-Be Bully In Chief
How to combat his cruelty
To ignore bad behavior is to normalize it. Here at Steady we will continue to publicize Donald Trump’s outrageous conduct as long as he exhibits it.
Insecurity Parading as Strength
At a Saturday campaign rally in Georgia, Trump mocked President Biden’s stutter. Again. “Wasn’t it [the State of the Union address] — didn’t it bring us together?” he asked the crowd. “‘I’m gonna bring the country tuh-tuh-tuh-together,’” Trump said, imitating Biden. At a January rally in Iowa, he fake-quoted Biden characterizing himself: “He’s a threat to d-d-democracy.”
Trump has made a habit of mocking those with disabilities. In 2015, he made fun of a reporter by mimicking his physical disability. He also derided the late Senator John McCain for the permanent injuries he sustained serving his country. While president, Trump asked that wounded veterans not be allowed in military parades. “Nobody wants to see that,” he said.
It is the behavior of a bully. Plain and simple. Belittle someone who is perceived as vulnerable in order to elevate yourself. It is not a sign of strength. It shows just how insecure Trump is. But the MAGA crowd lapped it up, laughing along with him, egging him on. Apparently, there is no low that is too low.
The blatant bad behavior was not limited to mocking the president. Even after posting a $91.6 million bond while appealing the verdict in the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial, Trump did it again. “I just posted a $91 million bond, $91 million on a fake story, totally made-up story,” he said on Saturday. He added that the multimillion-dollar judgment was “based on false accusations made about me by a woman that I knew nothing about, didn’t know, never heard of, I know nothing about her.”
The above statement could be cause for another judgment. It seems he cannot help himself.
Dropping The Unsubtle Hint
He also can’t seem to help fawning over tyrants. On Friday, Trump welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump’s praise for the autocratic strongman was boundless.
“There’s nobody that’s better, smarter, or a better leader than Viktor Orbán. He’s fantastic,” Trump gushed at an evening reception. “He says, ‘This is the way it’s going to be,’ and that’s the end of it. Right? He’s the boss ... he’s a great leader, fantastic leader. In Europe and around the world, they respect him.”
Craving respect is another hallmark of a bully. So are being unapologetic, deflecting blame, and lacking impulse control.
Trump’s repeated cruelties bring to mind a commencement speech given by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker last spring. The theme of the address was kindness.
The best way to spot an unintelligent person, Pritzker suggested, is to “look for the person who is cruel.”
“Empathy and compassion are evolved states of being,” Pritzker continued. “Over my many years in politics and business, I have found one thing to be universally true: The kindest person in the room is often the smartest.”
The mainstream media reported the former president’s stuttering slurs, but most outlets made only a passing reference. Do journalists and most Americans want to become numb to such meanness?
John Hendrickson, a reporter who covers Trump for The Atlantic and is a stutterer himself, wrote:
More than Trump’s ugly taunt, one thing stands out to me about these moments: the sound of Trump’s supporters laughing right along with him. This is a building block of Trumpism. The man at the top gives his followers permission to be the worst version of themselves.
A man whose well of shameful behavior seems endless cannot countenance kindness or empathy. When Trump’s hackles start to rise — in this case, because Biden had a very good week — his go-to is to be mean. He has repeatedly and for a long time demonstrated that he is incapable of fighting fairly within the bounds of civil discourse. This tendency is a sign not only of a bully but also of someone who is compensating for other deficits.
What The Media — and All of Us — Can Do
While Donald Trump gives a new meaning to the term “bully pulpit,” the dim glow of the newsroom has taught this reporter that there are things the media can do when a candidate’s speech turns to vitriol. Hold up a mirror to every instance of Donald Trump’s bullying, to his “Truth Social” posts, his rally tirades, his late-night rants. They all should be divulged to the public for scrutiny.
To combat the difficulty of covering Trump’s absurdities when they become too repetitive, here are a couple of thoughts. The media should examine the effects the taunts have on members of groups Trump has targeted. Think of the people who might be harassed because a bully who is also a presidential candidate says it’s ok. The media could also highlight data that shows how bullying negatively impacts society as a whole, much like hate speech.
Most importantly, don’t allow any candidate to normalize bullying tactics. Call them out on it. Right away. Every time.
Meantime, let us hope that the gentle forces of kindness and empathy — or at least civility — may prevail more often in this presidential campaign. So far, with one of the candidates, there is no sign of that.
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Absolutely—call these weak bullies out every single time. And never let up. Never stop. Not for a second. Don’t give them an inch. Ever. Great piece.
I’m going to be blunt. ‘Bully’ is correct, but it’s too kind of a word for him. He is such a pos. Mocking Biden’s stutter was the lowest of the low. He doesn’t surprise me anymore, but he sure does disgust me each and every time he opens his mouth. Vote, people. And if you are low enough to STILL support this piece of garbage, you’re better off staying home. You’d be doing your country a favor.