MAN’S MAN

‘Daily Show’ Exposes Huge Problem With Trump’s ‘Manly’ Boasts

Trump is desperate to be a “paragon of manhood,” but his words and actions undermine him.

Midterm candidates are delusional for using President Donald Trump, 80, as a template for right-wing manliness, according to The Daily Show.

In a segment of “In My Opinion,” guest contributor Charlamagne tha God explained how the upcoming midterm elections have become a masculinity contest. The internet exploded after a video surfaced of Maine Senate hopeful Troy Jackson drinking boba tea instead of a manly six-pack; Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has launched a gym bro ad campaign highlighting his ample biceps; and Pennsylvania House candidate Bob Brooks is leaning into his past as a big, brave firefighter.

“Since this trend is being mostly driven by the conservative idea of masculinity, it might be worth remembering who their paragon of manhood is,” Charlamagne said before playing a series of clips of pundits lauding the president’s raw manhood, including one that called him “the most masculine person to ever hold the White House is the president of the United States,” and one that called him a “dude” who likes race cars and UFC.

Charlamagne emphasized that, by running on platforms of buffness, male Democratic candidates are slipping into the Trumpy cultural framework they’re trying to fight against. Charlamagne added that Trump doesn’t even come close to embodying his own standard of manliness, despite what pundits say.

“You know the biggest problem with making Donald Trump your masculine ideal?” he said. “Everything about Donald Trump.”

Charlamagne then played a reel of Trump sharing his enthusiasm for a variety of cultural touchstones, most of which are far removed from the red-blooded, gun-slinging manly reputation he covets.

“I love Broadway stuff and, you know, Phantom of the Opera and Le Mis, et cetera,” Trump said before the video cut to another clip, “You know what gets them rocking? YMCA.”

“I like to take a nice shower to take care of my beautiful hair,” the video showed Trump saying, before he delved into his interior design musings about drapes, lamps, and, of course, his “most beautiful ballroom.”

“Hey, man, I’m not saying Trump is gay,” Charlamagne quipped. “I’m just saying we would’ve called him gay in the ’80s, OK?”

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Dana Herrnstadt Editorial Intern, Obsessed

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