https://www.thebulwark.com/p/when-it-comes-to-trump-trust-women-ellie-sattler-maya-angelou-liz-cheney
When It Comes to Trump, Trust Women
They have recognized the president’s toxicity from the jump. It’s time men start listening to them.
C’mon, Men!
by William Kristol
As we approach the year 2026, the semiquincentennial of the nation’s founding, we’ll all be rereading the Declaration of Independence and associated documents. As we should! But let me add a modest recommendation: Take a fresh look at the book Harvey Mansfield described as “at once the best book ever written on democracy and the best book ever written on America”: Democracy in America, by Alexis de Tocqueville.
If you take that look, you’ll find there, in Volume II, Part Three, Chapter Twelve, this remark by our nineteenth-century visitor and admirer:
Now that I approach the end of this book where I have shown so many considerable things done by Americans, if one asked me to what do I think one must principally attribute the singular prosperity and growing force of this people, I would answer that it is to the superiority of its women.
Contemporary politics vindicates the great Frenchman’s judgment. After all, if our last three elections had been decided by American women only, Donald Trump would never have become president. Whereas even now, after a decade of exposure to the Trumpian malady, American men remain remarkably and stubbornly resistant to reality.
A recent survey from Civiqs, for example, has President Trump at 40 percent approval, 56 percent disapproval. But that split conceals an enormous gender gap. Just about half of American men—wishful and credulous beings that they are—still give Trump the benefit of the doubt (47 percent approval vs. 49 percent disapproval). American women, on the other hand, disapprove of Trump by almost two-to-one (33 percent approval vs. 63 percent disapproval). (There is some hope among younger men.)
So a tip of my male hat to the female of the species—and to Tocqueville. But I also want to cite three women who’ve offered some of the most helpful guidance to the Trump phenomenon.
Two of them spoke before his rise, but their comments are indispensable to understanding the phenomenon of Trump. One is the late Maya Angelou, who told us, “When people show you who they are, believe them.”
Trump has shown us over and over again who he is, and yet we hesitate to believe him. He campaigned on the mass deportation of immigrants, but we’re startled when his administration goes ahead with it. He said he wants “his generals” to be loyal to him, but then we’re surprised when Pete Hegseth fires generals who might be more loyal to the laws or to the Constitution. Trump has shown over and over he doesn’t want the Epstein files out, but then we’re taken aback when his Justice Department fails to act in good faith to release them. Trump has repeatedly shown he’s well-disposed to Vladimir Putin, yet we’re a bit shocked each time he displays that preference.
And Trump has shown a willingness to thwart or to overturn the results of free and fair elections. Will we be shocked when he uses every means available to him to ensure that his opponents don’t prevail in 2028?
If Angelou helps us understand Trump, Dr. Ellie Sattler provides guidance for understanding his administration. In a famous scene in Jurassic Park, Ellie’s colleague, Dr. Alan Grant, says, “Okay, it’s just the two raptors, right.” But he does have the wit to ask Ellie, “You’re sure the third one’s contained?” And Sattler responds, “Yes, unless they figure out how to open doors.”
As Ellie seems to have suspected, the raptors had in fact figured that out.
As with our failure to take Trump seriously enough, we’re often quick to dismiss many of his subordinates as incompetent and ridiculous. So they often are. But enough of the apparatchiks populating the Trump administration have figured out how to open the doors to exercising power, or have been shown how to do so, that they are very dangerous indeed. With the instruments of the federal government at their disposal, and with the force of an almost-unchecked executive branch behind them, these not-so-bright velociraptor-like operatives don’t need to act with great precision or finesse. Brute force will do the trick.
The reality of a virtually unchecked executive branch, unchecked thanks to the acquiescence of the Republican party, leads me to a statement by a third American woman, former Rep. Liz Cheney. On June 9, 2022, Cheney remarked, “I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.”
The defense of the indefensible by Republicans remains a fact. And since Trump is not yet gone, their behavior is not merely a stain on their honor. It has a real effect in helping him do far more damage than he could otherwise do.
Now I suppose it is too much to hope that the American male of the species, notoriously stubborn and boastful, will in 2026 attend to the guidance of Maya Angelou, hearken to the warning of Ellie Sattler, or listen to the remonstrance of Liz Cheney.
But here’s an offer to my fellow American men: You don’t have to acknowledge that’s what you’re doing if it offends your pride. You don’t have to admit publicly the superiority of American women. Give them no credit—they’re used to that.
But please, men, even if you don’t bow your heads, do mend your ways. Man up!
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/when-it-comes-to-trump-trust-women-ellie-sattler-maya-angelou-liz-cheney
@Suzianne saidGolly gee sue I guess that settles it then🤣. I bow to your greatness!
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/when-it-comes-to-trump-trust-women-ellie-sattler-maya-angelou-liz-cheney
When It Comes to Trump, Trust Women
They have recognized the president’s toxicity from the jump. It’s time men start listening to them.
C’mon, Men!
by William Kristol
As we approach the year 2026, the semiquincentennial of the nation’s founding, ...[text shortened]... ttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/when-it-comes-to-trump-trust-women-ellie-sattler-maya-angelou-liz-cheney
@Cliff-Mashburn saidIt must be a MAGA favorite.
Have you seen this awesome YT page with Super hero lampoons? It talks about suzy here and how women shouldn't be given ideas or allowed to speak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D3tVfqzYis
@Cliff-Mashburn saidI don’t mind if they raise their hand first 😂.
Have you seen this awesome YT page with Super hero lampoons? It talks about suzy here and how women shouldn't be given ideas or allowed to speak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D3tVfqzYis
@Suzianne saidSo, get Trump out…SO many REASONS.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/when-it-comes-to-trump-trust-women-ellie-sattler-maya-angelou-liz-cheney
When It Comes to Trump, Trust Women
They have recognized the president’s toxicity from the jump. It’s time men start listening to them.
C’mon, Men!
by William Kristol
As we approach the year 2026, the semiquincentennial of the nation’s founding, ...[text shortened]... ttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/when-it-comes-to-trump-trust-women-ellie-sattler-maya-angelou-liz-cheney
So, quick, with whom do we replace him? In a normal 🤣 world, it would Kamala or Walz, just bring them in to an Oval swearing-in
They would pick up about 360 global files on the desk (Sue calls it the Resolute) , split them up, get those brains going.
Should be no problem, but need a crash course in KicAss.
And they should not upset women
@AverageJoe1 saidIf it were up to women only, Trump would still be holding his weenie wondering why no one loves him.
So, get Trump out…SO many REASONS.
So, quick, with whom do we replace him? In a normal 🤣 world, it would Kamala or Walz, just bring them in to an Oval swearing-in
They would pick up about 360 global files on the desk (Sue calls it the Resolute) , split them up, get those brains going.
Should be no problem, but need a crash course in KicAss.
And they should not upset women
When he came down that golden escalator in 2015, he should have been laughed off the stage like he was the first few times he talked about running.
But guess what? He finally found a receptive audience in the millions of "dumb-as-dirt" Republican base. All he needed was a solid group of people so stupid they believed every word out of his mouth, no matter how many times he lies. The rank-and-file Republicans fit that bill, since many of them had been wondering how they would ever be relevant again.
We replace him with a Democrat. Clearly. No Republican will ever care about fixing everything Trump broke.
@Cliff-Mashburn saidWomen aren't "given" ideas, they have plenty of their own.
Have you seen this awesome YT page with Super hero lampoons? It talks about suzy here and how women shouldn't be given ideas or allowed to speak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D3tVfqzYis
Women need men like a fish needs a bicycle.
They might, on occasion, be good for a good time, entertainment, but we do not
"need" them.
Apparently, men ARE given ideas, straight from the deranged mind of Donald Trump.
BTW, you do know what a lampoon is, yeah? Lampoons aren't reality.
@AverageJoe1 saidJust stop the whataboutisms.
@Suzianne
So what does everyone think about the person who Suzanne says we should replace Trump with? In a good debate, she would have told us why that person would make a good president. Maybe she is thinking of an addendum to that post.
@Suzianne saidMost women are run on emotion. That is dangerous.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/when-it-comes-to-trump-trust-women-ellie-sattler-maya-angelou-liz-cheney
When It Comes to Trump, Trust Women
They have recognized the president’s toxicity from the jump. It’s time men start listening to them.
C’mon, Men!
by William Kristol
As we approach the year 2026, the semiquincentennial of the nation’s founding, ...[text shortened]... ttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/when-it-comes-to-trump-trust-women-ellie-sattler-maya-angelou-liz-cheney
Hillary would have been a disaster. Pure hatred and a power hungry women.
Kamala would have been a disaster. Zero qualifications and too burdened by what has been and what will be.
I can't think of any other woman who could effectively hold office.
@boonon saidBoth are smarter than Trump.
Most women are run on emotion. That is dangerous.
Hillary would have been a disaster. Pure hatred and a power hungry women.
Kamala would have been a disaster. Zero qualifications and too burdened by what has been and what will be.
I can't think of any other woman who could effectively hold office.
Bring 'em on.
Women are used to picking up after men.
@Suzianne said“”When he came down that golden escalator in 2015, he should have been laughed off the stage like he was the first few times he talked about running””
If it were up to women only, Trump would still be holding his weenie wondering why no one loves him.
When he came down that golden escalator in 2015, he should have been laughed off the stage like he was the first few times he talked about running.
But guess what? He finally found a receptive audience in the millions of "dumb-as-dirt" Republican base. All he needed w ...[text shortened]... ce him with a Democrat. Clearly. No Republican will ever care about fixing everything Trump broke.
But, compare, golden elevator……to,,,,,the Biden basement, replete with illegally obtainined files .
If we had known of them. He’d have gone to jail. We never would have had the illegal caravans. The aliens, the drugs, murders, birthrights!!!, ,,,,let’s de,,,,job-takers, nonenglish manslaughter truck drivers , overrun hospitals and schools……of Traitor-Joe Biden.