A high-profile author who has written about President Donald Trump for decades revealed on Tuesday why Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro's dance moves were so devastating for the president's psyche.
Video emerged in late November of Maduro dancing at political rallies, which seemed to enrage Trump, according to a report by The New York Times. At the time, the Trump administration was trying to negotiate a surrender with the Venezuelan leader, an offer that was declined. Maduro's nonchalance was seen as a sign of disrespect inside the White House, according to reports.
Michael Wolff, a journalist who has written four books about Trump, revealed why Maduro's dancing was so damaging to Trump on a new episode of "Inside Trump's Head," a podcast he co-hosts with Joana Coles of The Daily Beast.
"Trump personalizes these things," Wolff said. "It only really works for him if he personalizes it. The [Tim] Walz thing: I am against him. The [Gavin] Newsom thing: I am against him. I need an enemy, and the enemy is not an abstraction. It's a person. In this case, it was Maduro."
"Remember, they offered him all kinds of stuff, you know, 'We'll set you up anywhere you want, a luxurious retirement.' And, he said, completely rejected that and then danced in a mocking fashion," he continued. "It pierces Trump directly when you mock him. The thing you must not do is mock Donald Trump."