Why I'm grateful every time President Trump insults a woman - By Alyssa Rosenberg

[DonViejo]

By Alyssa Rosenberg June 29 at 1:53 PM

President Trump has spent much of the past several years gaslighting America: Insisting he didn’t say things he clearly said, denying positions he previously claimed and accusing other people of the flaws he manifests in baroque fashion. From his “No, you’re the puppet” moment during a debate with Hillary Clinton to his leisurely schedule after his complaints about President Barack Obama’s vacations, Trump seems to be trying to drag us into his world, where the truth is malleable and any inconvenient facts can be spun away. But in one area, Trump’s worst behavior has been immensely clarifying, and in a weird way, affirming, cutting through excuses and evasions and fictions of progress. Trump’s persistent attacks on women affirm what feminists have been saying all along: that sexism is still pervasive at all levels of American society.

Trump’s latest salvo was aimed at Mika Brzezinski, who hosts the cable talk show “Morning Joe” with her fiancé, Joe Scarborough. Both have been sharply critical of the president. And this morning he fired off a pair of tweets calling her “low I.Q. Crazy Mika” and suggesting that “she was bleeding badly from a face-lift” during a visit to Mar-a-Lago.

Even in under 280 characters, the tweets are a rich psychological portrait of the man who sent them.

As with his insults of former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, Trump turns to images of blood when he wants to attack a woman: whether the source is menstruation or alleged cosmetic surgery, Trump appears to be disgusted by visceral details.

He also has a tendency to attack women for struggling to live up to the high beauty standards placed on them, both by Trump himself and by society at large. Attacking Brzezinski for having a face lift, or berating former Miss Universe Alicia Machado for gaining weight isn’t simply a way of accusing them of being ugly. It’s an expression of anger at women for not magically looking perfect at all times, and for reminding men that it takes work and money to meet a certain physical ideal.

Implying that former People reporter Natasha Stoynoff was too ugly for him to grab was a way for Trump to suggest that women he doesn’t find attractive aren’t just ugly, but dishonest while defending himself against sexual harassment allegations on the campaign trail.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2017/06/29/why-im-grateful-every-time-president-trump-insults-a-woman/?utm_term=.d042353e5c61

[BigmanPigman]

1. I know it is not the same but Kathy Griffin makes a tasteless joke as a comedian

and is forced to apologize publicly and her career suffers. Yet, "IT" attacks people with special needs, insults parents of killed soldiers, dismisses "not real war heroes/POWs", women's appearances endlessly, etc. and never apologizes and never admitted he was wrong about birtherism. He is a mentally ill, narcissistic sociopath and has been getting away with everything his entire spoiled, crazy, immature, hate filled life. His low class, thuggish base eats it up since they actually admire his personality traits and they too share these traits. He will keep his base for this very reason. They are mean, abusive bullies who start fights themselves, throw racial slurs openly, berate anyone not like them and take pride in themselves for being this way. They are very sick! We should treat him as such and get him out of office ASAP! He is representing US!