Thank you for unpacking this aspect of Trump's megalomania! I've noticed (of course) the weird replication of pose and expression in all of Trump's photos and casually wondered about it, but it's nice to have a solid explanation of why he would do his unchanging 'plastic smile and robotic thumbs-up' thing in the most inappropriate situat…
Thank you for unpacking this aspect of Trump's megalomania! I've noticed (of course) the weird replication of pose and expression in all of Trump's photos and casually wondered about it, but it's nice to have a solid explanation of why he would do his unchanging 'plastic smile and robotic thumbs-up' thing in the most inappropriate situations (thank you for providing the evidence! That pic with the El Paso orphan has always disgusted me). Your point about context is spot on: everything in Trump's worldview orbits around him regardless of the situation, and everyone who meets him is (or should be) honored and lucky to get to interact with him, and so he will graciously deign to do his pose with them.
Thank you for unpacking this aspect of Trump's megalomania! I've noticed (of course) the weird replication of pose and expression in all of Trump's photos and casually wondered about it, but it's nice to have a solid explanation of why he would do his unchanging 'plastic smile and robotic thumbs-up' thing in the most inappropriate situations (thank you for providing the evidence! That pic with the El Paso orphan has always disgusted me). Your point about context is spot on: everything in Trump's worldview orbits around him regardless of the situation, and everyone who meets him is (or should be) honored and lucky to get to interact with him, and so he will graciously deign to do his pose with them.