Trump the Womanizer? Why?
Comments. Considerations. Questions.
by Kenneth Bagnell
Another day for Trump often means another woman revealing another sexual intrusion. The woman is shown on television and justifiably very unhappy about it. The accusations virtually always open with these four words: “He grabbed my……” The question that’s lingering in my mind is simply this: What’s driving this ugly impulse in Trump? I find it more than sad that the American Psychiatric Association is still almost totally silent on the matter, using a binding 43 year old professional policy, even though the questionable conduct of Trump’s narcissistic conduct is revealed almost every day. No wonder the world’s most highly regarded newspaper, The New York Times, heads a large column with the words, “Donald Trump, Groper in Chief” Still, the expert professionals will say virtually nothing, as Katherine Nordal , the executive director of the American Psychological Association director did. (She called it “Inappropriate behavior,” for a psychologist who has not examined him.)
The morning after I wrote the above paragraph everything got worse, in fact about noon last Thursday, while I was on my way to a church on the far west of Toronto everything exploded with a headline: Ten Women now Accusing Trump of Past Sexual Assaults.” Two references will suffice: one of the women, now a senior, was once seated on a plane directly in front of Trump, when he reached around and grabbed her breasts and more. Second, Ivana Trump, his former wife, said in the divorce papers that he had raped her. It goes on and on. Then, next day, three or four women went on TV, some with very honest tears as they recounted the abuse. One paper ran the headline: “Trump faithfully forced her…” Another heading asked: “How much damage is he going to inflict?”
One thing, virtually certain, is some damage to the Republican party. It’s losing its very best. One example: the highly respected John McCain, Senator from Arizona, and in his early years, a military hero. About ten days ago he announced he was quitting the Trump campaign in these brief candid words: “Cindy and I will not vote for Donald Trump…’. ABC went on to report “McCain is joining the growing ranks of Republicans withdrawing support for Trump.” The number is now reaching well beyond the thousands, though, for its own strange reasons, the evangelical Christian community is, in most cases, remaining loyal. To those who don’t study these matters, this surely seems strange. In any case, the Religious News Service, to which I subscribe, ran a piece in which Jerry Falwell Jr., president of the very conservative Liberty College, was photographed, shaking Trump’s hand reassuring this complex man that Liberty College is supporting him, (To their credit, many students are independent enough to refuse to back Falwell’s support.)
This almost full sexual coverage raises a question well worth thinking about: what is driving sexual aggression in recent generations in such flagrant ways as Trump’s. In part, an answer comes from Time Magazine looking at this question with a large picture on its cover with a coverline of one word: “Porn.” It reports an example of pornography’s influence in one revealing sentence: “The pornography industry makes about $97 billion across the world every year and it portrays women in a hypersexualized environment, making people see women in a negative light.” This makes far too many men see women as “thingified” – for use mostly for sexual activity. Trump may well see them that way, his innumerable casual intrusions being the evidence. I see this as a lesson to our culture, if only Trump would realize it and seek help.
Moreover, segments of the media must be criticized given their treatment, often intense, of women as “sexual objects.” To take the best known example, consider Playboy Magazine, owned for many years by Hugh Hefner. It’s now reported to be modifying its content. But it’s too late. For almost a half century it has “thingified” women with nude to seminude photos implying along the way, that they are not very bright, thereby useful for what Trump likes. Magazine experts have recently taken note, in an essay called “The Magazine Industry: Gender Roles and Playboy”. The professionals say this: “Many executives from Playboy have said that because of the rise in the porn industry, sex has stopped selling for print magazines like Playboy Magazine. Now anyone can view porn for free, as people do not feel the need to buy Playboy Magazine. Going out to buy the magazine causes more of a hassle and yet more of an embarrassment when you can easily go on the internet and receive the same pleasure there.” The “thingifying” of women goes on, then goes on again.
Given all that is now happening, it’s impossible not to ask, how in the world can the Christian evangelical community, support this crude man, now that his dreadful conduct has been exposed to the world.. I have an inherent sense, that before election day, many evangelicals will withhold their support. In part Trump has won their support because he came out against mainly (1) abortion, (2) same sex marriage, and (3) immigration of Syrian refugees. To me, all this makes him out to have a campaign strategy erected on opportunism and cynicism, especially when he once claimed to be a member of Manhattan churches both of which are, to put it in a general term, middle of the road liberals.
As Barbara and I witness all this in the papers and on the radio and the TV screen, we both wonder about this unique chapter in American politics. Moreover we wonder what will be said in the history books for many coming years to come. I speculate that this election will be studied and publically analyzed for many decades. After all, he’s Trump, the man whose private jet is worth a hundred million dollars, built to seat 240 passengers, but reduced to 43. “It’s bigger than Air Force One,” he likes to say. Yes Donald you’re a big shot. Mind you, big shots can call the shot but often they don’t win. This time, I’d say, it’s for sure.
Past blogs are archived on my website: your comments are welcome there: www.kennethbagnell.com.