Trump Pays Mussolini-Like Attention to His Own Image

 

"The appeal of these things hasn’t disappeared or died out. An American president, suffering from an infectious disease, breathing hard, covered in orange pancake makeup, speaking from a balcony against the backdrop of our elegant White House and our beautiful Washington Monument—this is a scene that seems absurd, grotesque, and even frightening to many. But not to everyone. “I led,” the president said, soon after he had dramatically removed his face mask, proving to his followers that he isn’t afraid.

Of course the scene was staged. Of course it is cynical. And of course it is dangerous to tell Americans to act as if a virus is an opponent in a wrestling match—“Don’t let it dominate you; don’t be afraid of it. You’re going to beat it”—especially after your criminal carelessness has led to the infection of your closest colleagues, your Senate allies, your bodyguards, your wife. But those staged pictures are what a lot of people want to see, and that false reassurance is what a lot of people want to hear. Don’t underestimate their power."

more in the article by Anne Applebaum​


Trump Pays Mussolini-Like Attention to His Own Image - The Atlantic