Young children are limited in conveying their wishes and desires. They don't have the vocabulary to explain why they are upset, so they rely on purely emotional responses. We have all seen the look: Lips pursed, eyes lowered into a glaring stare, arms crossed. While adorable in a 4-year-old, it is not so in adults. We see it regularly in Donald Trump, the pouting POTUS.
Bad behavior by United States presidents is not limited to the present occupant of the White House. Presidents Grant, Van Buren and Grover Cleveland were renowned for their drinking, tempers and philandering. Franklin Roosevelt disparaged the press. Lyndon Johnson would urinate in front of reporters. Infidelity was a common practice with many past presidents, which may explain why Trump's escapades barely elicited a yawn from the public. But we would classify these behaviors as "adult bad behavior," not that of a kid who throws a fit in the grocery store.
By the time we become adults, we have obtained the ability to deal with life's upsetting issues. We become analytical and treat the issue as a problem and channel our energy into solving it. Any emotional venting can be done later in private, if necessary. Trump tends to vent first and still not solve the problem. When he does vent, he loses all filters, saying anything that pops into his brain to vindicate himself or cast blame on others.
Trump pouts that he can't get legislation passed because Congress filibustered his bills. Blame the Constitution and Congressional protocols for not getting your work done! Every other president learned how to deal with it, but evidently, it's just too hard for Trump to understand the legislative process.
He sulked after mocking a 16-year-old Greta Thunberg for becoming "Time Magazine's" Person of the Year in 2019, implying that he deserved the honor. He was Time's POY in 2016, though he sulked then because the magazine referred to him as "President of the Divided States of America." I guess he forgot the other nine times he held the honor.
Trump pouts to his followers that he has been treated more unfairly than any other president in history. Those presidents who were assassinated would beg to differ. Is it not fair to criticize hiding his tax returns, using his golf courses and hotels to conduct business, sending the bill to the taxpayers while benefitting from the profit, and hiring family members as White House staff? This same staff continually violates the Hatch Act with impunity and no punishment. We could forgive his brooding during the impeachment process, but every other impeached president ignored the process and attended to the business of governing. He pouts about the unfair media treatment he receives. He pouts about reports of his pouting. The guy can't catch a break!
His latest meltdown erupted because, according to him, "Nobody likes me." He reckons it's because of his "personality." Or it could be due to his nonsensical press conferences, his petty jealousy of Dr. Fauci's popularity, the ever-worsening coronavirus epidemic, and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. I'm not too fond of your personality, Mr. President, but that grievance is way behind all the other reasons to dislike you. Better start eating those worms.
Past presidents did not care if they were well-liked. Good leaders are more focused on finding solutions to problems than tweeting about their unhappy lives. Five months into his term, Trump stated that being president was harder than he thought it would be. He responded to that realization not by working harder and smarter, but by playing more golf, tweeting at all hours of the day, and watching various news channels. He ignores intelligence briefings, terrorizes White House staff to the point that they are afraid to tell him any bad news, and sulks that he cannot conduct more rallies to fuel his base.
His staff does its best to try and cheer him up, though. They feed him fake polls showing him ahead of Biden. The White House hastily arranged for a fleet of 18-wheelers to be brought onto the grounds as a trucker appreciation event. Trump thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the big rigs! I remember how my son loved playing with his toy cars and trucks -- when he was three years old. In the same way, the big, shiny trucks distracted Trump from his childish meltdown for a while.
Trump pouts about missing his old life. He could do what he wanted, eat dinner anywhere, and entertain the ladies, all away from the microscope of presidential life. Voting him out of office in November would do wonders for his mental state -- and ours.
-- Devin Houston is the president/CEO of Houston Enzymes. Send comments or questions to [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.