The "strongman" image Donald Trump has curated for himself has now "backfired," according to a political commentator.
A recent appearance at Mar-a-Lago from the president has highlighted the dissonance between the "strongman" rhetoric and his physical health, according to Salon columnist Chauncey DeVega. Growing concern over Trump's physical and cognitive health have been aired by multiple onlookers, including his niece, Mary Trump, late night hosst Jimmy Kimmel and ex-White House physician Jeffrey Kuhlman.
The president's health is affecting the image he wishes to project, according to DeVega.
He wrote, "As a political strongman, Trump’s personalist style of rule is heavily dependent upon force and energy — and on controlling the master narrative.
"But if Trump intended to reclaim his swagger with his action against Venezuela and Maduro, his performance at Mar-a-Lago may have backfired. Reading the president’s remarks is a very different experience from watching his performance."
This showmanship Trump wishes to project, DeVega said, was undermined by his appearance alongside Dan Caine. He added, "Trump sounded tired and unwell. As Caine spoke, the president’s eyes appeared closed, as if he were fighting off sleep while standing up."
"Symbolically, if Trump the strongman ruler is made to look mortal and fully human, then the inevitable victory and permanence of the movement itself — which has its own collective, physical and emotional energy and life — is called into doubt."
Trump's niece, Mary Trump, has since suggested the next few months will be a "perfect storm" for the president's apparently dwindling health.
She said, "His [Trump's] belligerence and his volume cover over a lot of sins. People mistake his being loud for being strong. Unfortunately, that's not at all the case."
"We can see that in contrast to what people's assessment of President [Joe] Biden was. He was quieter, he had a stutter, and they somehow equated that with mental, his inability to think things through, or his weakness, or his failing cognitive health."
"With Donald, again, it's more of the same, but more of the same in the sense that it's nothing new, but anybody who has the kinds of severe psychiatric [issues] he has, he's had them for decades, they've gone undiagnosed, they're going to get worse because they're untreated."