Opinion: Trump Would Sound Better Wearing a Mask

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 08:57 pm

Anyone who endures the Trump presidency understands why there’s a minimum age qualification to be president.  Trump proved, however, that chronological age doesn’t necessarily reflect the maturity that one needs to make rational decisions as the president of the United States.  Trump’s outbursts are more like that of a two-year-old having a tantrum than of a grown man in control of his emotions.

This is not to say that presidents should never have feelings. The problem with Trump is he has the wrong ones.  He gets angry when people ask questions he doesn’t like.  He likes to show how macho he is by condescending to women, or even trying to banish women to the back of the room for doing their jobs as members of the White House Press Corp.

He thinks masks are “dorky”.  Real women find intelligent, ethical and compassionate men who wear masks far more appealing than obnoxious and petulant misogynists like Donald Trump.

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I seriously doubt Trump could be more appealing if he wore a mask, but it’s a mental vacation we all deserve.

Just over the past week, there were numerous examples of the point I’m making, but I’ll focus on Trump’s behavior toward the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, regarding wearing a mask when he visited her state.

This was Trump at his absolute childish worst.  He reminds me of my youngest brother-in-law when he gets like this.  I can imagine him on the floor kicking his feet, yelling at the top of his lungs “No woman is ever going to tell me what to do!”

A mature man would have understood that wearing a mask is about protecting other people and showing them respect in caring about their health.  He would have understood that wearing a mask in front of the cameras would have been a positive thing.  Believe it or not, even his worst critics would have had to acknowledge this was something he did right.

But Trump was determined to maintain the appearance of machismo to the Rocky Balboa clones that comprise his base.

To her credit, Governor Whitmer didn’t bow to him the way the “macho” Republican men in Congress do on a daily basis.  Not when he refused to wear a mask and not when he threatened to block funding to Michigan (or any state) that mails out absentee ballots.

The fact is for as long as she is governor, Gretchen Whitmer has a legal and moral obligation to do everything necessary to protect the people of Michigan. That includes banning an obnoxious president if he refuses to comply with public health policies, like wearing masks in public.  That also includes voting at home policies to minimize the coronavirus’s spread.

Trump’s “big man” reasoning for refusing to wear the mask?  He didn’t want the media to have the “satisfaction” of seeing him in it.  Because this is what “strong men” do.  They worry more about their image to the media than about doing what real leaders do to protect the people who entrusted them with power.

Michigan’s Attorney-General, Dana Nessel,  had more to say after Trump defied the governor’s warning about wearing a mask.

In an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN  Nessel responded to the sulking child, Donald Trump, as any mother would.

“In Michigan, of course, now that is the law,” she said. “A court just upheld that, upheld the governor’s orders just hours ago, and even in Ford it is their own policy. The president is like a petulant child who refuses to follow the rules. I have to say, this is no joke.”

This week we also saw Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer persuade Mr. maga-man to fly flags at half-staff in honor of the people who died because of the Covid-19 virus.

Trump really should have known he should do this.  The fact that it took the Speaker and Senate Minority Leader to get him do the obvious tells us why we need leaders who know and feel things that matter.

I’d say this is why we need more women in political leadership (also analyzing and commenting on politics) but a: it’s not the only reason and b: there are men who know that strong men can and do feel in public.  Our last president, Barack Obama, is one example of a man who is both strong and feeling.  So is our future president, Joe Biden.

The fact is we do need more women in leadership.  Strong women like Nancy Pelosi, Gretchen Whitmer and Dana Nessel disprove all the misogynistic tropes about women solving problems, handling the stress and having the brain power to understand and solve complex problems.

By being the constantly whining child he is, Donald Trump further made the case for women leading and for why obnoxious children should wear masks.

Adalia Woodbury

Former contributor.