"Donald Trump didn’t surprise anyone by welcoming the death of Robert Mueller, an American hero who exemplified all the admirable qualities he does not possess.
But the president’s fresh demonstration of depravity underscored a defining characteristic of his presidency. I do not mean corruption, or dishonesty, or ignorance, though Trump is thoroughly corrupt, dishonest, and ignorant."
~ John Harwood
"I mean his anger. For all the wealth, fame, and power he has accumulated, Trump is an angry man directing an angry administration."
#Trump #Hegseth #violence #PerformativeMasculinity #patriarchy #MaleEntitlement #MaleDomination
/2
"This administration & the entire right-wing movement is full of pasty edgelords looking for other men through whom they can achieve a vicarious experience of masculinity. And the performance of manhood to which they are most attracted is violence, whether it’s in the ring or perpetrated by a masked ICE goon giving a beat-down to a peaceful protester."
~ Paul Waldman
#Trump #Hegseth #violence #PerformativeMasculinity #patriarchy #MaleEntitlement #MaleDomination #MMA
/3
"So it’s no surprise that the administration has turned itself into a promotion machine for MMA, and in particular the UFC."
#Trump #Hegseth #violence #PerformativeMasculinity #patriarchy #MaleEntitlement #MaleDomination #MMA
/4
Noting that "Trump, like many other right-wing leaders before him, has a long history with combat sports," TPM announces that at 3 P.M. today (EST, I think) it will discuss "how martial arts has become right coded." A link to log in is in the article linked below.
#Trump #Hegseth #violence #PerformativeMasculinity #patriarchy #MaleEntitlement #MaleDomination #MMA
/5
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/tpm-live-trump-the-right-and-martial-arts
"The unfolding of the Iran war confirms that Trump sees diplomacy as a waste of time and compromise as a sign of weakness. We know now that the administration rejected negotiated solutions that would have given the Trump administration a 'win.' Instead, they chose violence, bombing rather than signing an agreement to end the conflict."
~ Ruth Ben-Ghiat
#Trump #Hegseth #violence #PerformativeMasculinity #patriarchy #MaleEntitlement #MaleDomination #war #Iran
/6
https://lucid.substack.com/p/video-and-essay-convo-wrep-crow-on
Plus a Jan. 2025 forecast about Hegseth
"Now we have Hegseth, the former Fox Business weekend host, supplying the slogan that sums up the authoritarian approach to international relations:
'We negotiate with bombs,' Hegseth declared at a recent press conference."
#Trump #Hegseth #violence #PerformativeMasculinity #patriarchy #MaleEntitlement #MaleDomination #war #Iran
/7
William Lindsey 
kali