Trump is absolutely not daddy. Let me count the reasons

The Advertiser

7 hours ago

NATO secretary Mark Rutte has made headlines for calling US President Donald Trump "Daddy" at the NATO Summit at the Hague this week.
Reacting to Trump's NSFW comment the day before on Iran and Israel, Rutte sycophantically remarked that "Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop."
Rutte's remarks follow a trend of Trump supporters and Republican politicians calling him "Daddy" or "Daddy Don" since the presidential campaign.
Reactionary pundit Tucker Carlson roused rally attendees in Georgia, for example, by likening Trump to a stern father-figure: "There has to be a point at which Dad comes home ... and he's pissed ... And when Dad gets home, you know what he says? ...
"You've been a bad little girl and you're getting a vigorous spanking right now. And no, it's not going to hurt me more than it hurts you. No, it's not. I'm not going to lie. It's going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me. And you earned this.
"You're getting a vigorous spanking because you've been a bad girl, and it has to be this way."
His disciplinary and paternalistic approach to governance also attracted comment in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, where Gerald F. Seib argued that Trump is "replacing the Nanny State With a Daddy State".
In a clear embrace of the term, the official White House YouTube account posted a video covering Trump's attendance at NATO, titled "Daddy's Home".
It is not new in politics for leaders to be compared to parental figures. Germany's Angela Merkel earned the affectionate nickname "Mutti" while China's Xi Jinping has been called "Xi Dada" and, more recently, "Xi Yeye".
Closer to home, in a recent open-access study, I identified the emergence of two Australian political masculinities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
First, the traditional "Daggy Dad" of former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison, centred around the nuclear family and paternalistic protection.
Second, the "State Daddy", embodied by Labor leaders like Albanese, who perform a more compassionate masculinity focused on social provision.
However, as the scholar who theorised the term "State Daddy", I must firmly reiterate that Donald Trump is not a Daddy.
It is worth noting that "Daddy" originated in US working-class Black LGBTQIA+ communities, but this black gay vernacular has since spread to broader queer and BDSM communities.
It is a term of endearment in queer sexual relationships - Daddies are very nurturing, caring, guiding and so are looked on as mentors, role models, and providers.
Trump is so obviously not a Daddy.
He is cruel, not nurturing, callous, not caring, and he provides chaos, not guidance. While Daddies inspire love and admiration through care, Trump forcefully demands unwavering adoration through intimidation and domination.
That a conservative and queerphobic administration is now borrowing language from the same communities whose rights it is actively working to erode is an interesting juxtaposition.
That this term has been used overwhelmingly by men to refer to Trump makes explicit the homosocial nature of a homophobic administration.
The popularity of the term has significantly increased since its adoption as internet slang on social media, as in the rise of the "daddy meme" playing on its sexualised connotations in a tongue-in-cheek, lightly self-parodying manner.
The fact that "Daddy" is so commonly used, including by a NATO chief, shows how mainstream it has become. Yet Rutte did not seem to be in on the joke.
Trump is also most definitely not a State Daddy.
His dominating, paternalistic masculinity is the antithesis of the State Daddy, whose masculinity is compassionate, caring and inspires hope.
READ MORE:
The State Daddy is defined by collective responsibility, empathy and provision of social programs whereas Strongman leaders like Trump are self-interested, hyper-individualist, aggressive and seek to gut public services.
State Daddies are also committed to women voters and gender equality, whereas misogyny and patriarchal domination are central to Trump's identity.
As a patriarchal and authoritarian masculine protectionist persona who enforces obedience through punishment, Trump is a dominating and paternalistic authoritarian Dad. He aligns with the "strict father" model, viewing the world as a dangerous and competitive arena in which there are clear "winners" and "losers"- terms on which Trump often relies to frame his messaging.
But I guess this doesn't have as good of a ring to it as "Daddy Don".
NATO secretary Mark Rutte has made headlines for calling US President Donald Trump "Daddy" at the NATO Summit at the Hague this week.
Reacting to Trump's NSFW comment the day before on Iran and Israel, Rutte sycophantically remarked that "Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop."
Rutte's remarks follow a trend of Trump supporters and Republican politicians calling him "Daddy" or "Daddy Don" since the presidential campaign.
Reactionary pundit Tucker Carlson roused rally attendees in Georgia, for example, by likening Trump to a stern father-figure: "There has to be a point at which Dad comes home ... and he's pissed ... And when Dad gets home, you know what he says? ...
"You've been a bad little girl and you're getting a vigorous spanking right now. And no, it's not going to hurt me more than it hurts you. No, it's not. I'm not going to lie. It's going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me. And you earned this.
"You're getting a vigorous spanking because you've been a bad girl, and it has to be this way."
His disciplinary and paternalistic approach to governance also attracted comment in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, where Gerald F. Seib argued that Trump is "replacing the Nanny State With a Daddy State".
In a clear embrace of the term, the official White House YouTube account posted a video covering Trump's attendance at NATO, titled "Daddy's Home".
It is not new in politics for leaders to be compared to parental figures. Germany's Angela Merkel earned the affectionate nickname "Mutti" while China's Xi Jinping has been called "Xi Dada" and, more recently, "Xi Yeye".
Closer to home, in a recent open-access study, I identified the emergence of two Australian political masculinities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
First, the traditional "Daggy Dad" of former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison, centred around the nuclear family and paternalistic protection.
Second, the "State Daddy", embodied by Labor leaders like Albanese, who perform a more compassionate masculinity focused on social provision.
However, as the scholar who theorised the term "State Daddy", I must firmly reiterate that Donald Trump is not a Daddy.
It is worth noting that "Daddy" originated in US working-class Black LGBTQIA+ communities, but this black gay vernacular has since spread to broader queer and BDSM communities.
It is a term of endearment in queer sexual relationships - Daddies are very nurturing, caring, guiding and so are looked on as mentors, role models, and providers.
Trump is so obviously not a Daddy.
He is cruel, not nurturing, callous, not caring, and he provides chaos, not guidance. While Daddies inspire love and admiration through care, Trump forcefully demands unwavering adoration through intimidation and domination.
That a conservative and queerphobic administration is now borrowing language from the same communities whose rights it is actively working to erode is an interesting juxtaposition.
That this term has been used overwhelmingly by men to refer to Trump makes explicit the homosocial nature of a homophobic administration.
The popularity of the term has significantly increased since its adoption as internet slang on social media, as in the rise of the "daddy meme" playing on its sexualised connotations in a tongue-in-cheek, lightly self-parodying manner.
The fact that "Daddy" is so commonly used, including by a NATO chief, shows how mainstream it has become. Yet Rutte did not seem to be in on the joke.
Trump is also most definitely not a State Daddy.
His dominating, paternalistic masculinity is the antithesis of the State Daddy, whose masculinity is compassionate, caring and inspires hope.
READ MORE:
The State Daddy is defined by collective responsibility, empathy and provision of social programs whereas Strongman leaders like Trump are self-interested, hyper-individualist, aggressive and seek to gut public services.
State Daddies are also committed to women voters and gender equality, whereas misogyny and patriarchal domination are central to Trump's identity.
As a patriarchal and authoritarian masculine protectionist persona who enforces obedience through punishment, Trump is a dominating and paternalistic authoritarian Dad. He aligns with the "strict father" model, viewing the world as a dangerous and competitive arena in which there are clear "winners" and "losers"- terms on which Trump often relies to frame his messaging.
But I guess this doesn't have as good of a ring to it as "Daddy Don".
NATO secretary Mark Rutte has made headlines for calling US President Donald Trump "Daddy" at the NATO Summit at the Hague this week.
Reacting to Trump's NSFW comment the day before on Iran and Israel, Rutte sycophantically remarked that "Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop."
Rutte's remarks follow a trend of Trump supporters and Republican politicians calling him "Daddy" or "Daddy Don" since the presidential campaign.
Reactionary pundit Tucker Carlson roused rally attendees in Georgia, for example, by likening Trump to a stern father-figure: "There has to be a point at which Dad comes home ... and he's pissed ... And when Dad gets home, you know what he says? ...
"You've been a bad little girl and you're getting a vigorous spanking right now. And no, it's not going to hurt me more than it hurts you. No, it's not. I'm not going to lie. It's going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me. And you earned this.
"You're getting a vigorous spanking because you've been a bad girl, and it has to be this way."
His disciplinary and paternalistic approach to governance also attracted comment in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, where Gerald F. Seib argued that Trump is "replacing the Nanny State With a Daddy State".
In a clear embrace of the term, the official White House YouTube account posted a video covering Trump's attendance at NATO, titled "Daddy's Home".
It is not new in politics for leaders to be compared to parental figures. Germany's Angela Merkel earned the affectionate nickname "Mutti" while China's Xi Jinping has been called "Xi Dada" and, more recently, "Xi Yeye".
Closer to home, in a recent open-access study, I identified the emergence of two Australian political masculinities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
First, the traditional "Daggy Dad" of former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison, centred around the nuclear family and paternalistic protection.
Second, the "State Daddy", embodied by Labor leaders like Albanese, who perform a more compassionate masculinity focused on social provision.
However, as the scholar who theorised the term "State Daddy", I must firmly reiterate that Donald Trump is not a Daddy.
It is worth noting that "Daddy" originated in US working-class Black LGBTQIA+ communities, but this black gay vernacular has since spread to broader queer and BDSM communities.
It is a term of endearment in queer sexual relationships - Daddies are very nurturing, caring, guiding and so are looked on as mentors, role models, and providers.
Trump is so obviously not a Daddy.
He is cruel, not nurturing, callous, not caring, and he provides chaos, not guidance. While Daddies inspire love and admiration through care, Trump forcefully demands unwavering adoration through intimidation and domination.
That a conservative and queerphobic administration is now borrowing language from the same communities whose rights it is actively working to erode is an interesting juxtaposition.
That this term has been used overwhelmingly by men to refer to Trump makes explicit the homosocial nature of a homophobic administration.
The popularity of the term has significantly increased since its adoption as internet slang on social media, as in the rise of the "daddy meme" playing on its sexualised connotations in a tongue-in-cheek, lightly self-parodying manner.
The fact that "Daddy" is so commonly used, including by a NATO chief, shows how mainstream it has become. Yet Rutte did not seem to be in on the joke.
Trump is also most definitely not a State Daddy.
His dominating, paternalistic masculinity is the antithesis of the State Daddy, whose masculinity is compassionate, caring and inspires hope.
READ MORE:
The State Daddy is defined by collective responsibility, empathy and provision of social programs whereas Strongman leaders like Trump are self-interested, hyper-individualist, aggressive and seek to gut public services.
State Daddies are also committed to women voters and gender equality, whereas misogyny and patriarchal domination are central to Trump's identity.
As a patriarchal and authoritarian masculine protectionist persona who enforces obedience through punishment, Trump is a dominating and paternalistic authoritarian Dad. He aligns with the "strict father" model, viewing the world as a dangerous and competitive arena in which there are clear "winners" and "losers"- terms on which Trump often relies to frame his messaging.
But I guess this doesn't have as good of a ring to it as "Daddy Don".
NATO secretary Mark Rutte has made headlines for calling US President Donald Trump "Daddy" at the NATO Summit at the Hague this week.
Reacting to Trump's NSFW comment the day before on Iran and Israel, Rutte sycophantically remarked that "Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop."
Rutte's remarks follow a trend of Trump supporters and Republican politicians calling him "Daddy" or "Daddy Don" since the presidential campaign.
Reactionary pundit Tucker Carlson roused rally attendees in Georgia, for example, by likening Trump to a stern father-figure: "There has to be a point at which Dad comes home ... and he's pissed ... And when Dad gets home, you know what he says? ...
"You've been a bad little girl and you're getting a vigorous spanking right now. And no, it's not going to hurt me more than it hurts you. No, it's not. I'm not going to lie. It's going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me. And you earned this.
"You're getting a vigorous spanking because you've been a bad girl, and it has to be this way."
His disciplinary and paternalistic approach to governance also attracted comment in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, where Gerald F. Seib argued that Trump is "replacing the Nanny State With a Daddy State".
In a clear embrace of the term, the official White House YouTube account posted a video covering Trump's attendance at NATO, titled "Daddy's Home".
It is not new in politics for leaders to be compared to parental figures. Germany's Angela Merkel earned the affectionate nickname "Mutti" while China's Xi Jinping has been called "Xi Dada" and, more recently, "Xi Yeye".
Closer to home, in a recent open-access study, I identified the emergence of two Australian political masculinities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
First, the traditional "Daggy Dad" of former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison, centred around the nuclear family and paternalistic protection.
Second, the "State Daddy", embodied by Labor leaders like Albanese, who perform a more compassionate masculinity focused on social provision.
However, as the scholar who theorised the term "State Daddy", I must firmly reiterate that Donald Trump is not a Daddy.
It is worth noting that "Daddy" originated in US working-class Black LGBTQIA+ communities, but this black gay vernacular has since spread to broader queer and BDSM communities.
It is a term of endearment in queer sexual relationships - Daddies are very nurturing, caring, guiding and so are looked on as mentors, role models, and providers.
Trump is so obviously not a Daddy.
He is cruel, not nurturing, callous, not caring, and he provides chaos, not guidance. While Daddies inspire love and admiration through care, Trump forcefully demands unwavering adoration through intimidation and domination.
That a conservative and queerphobic administration is now borrowing language from the same communities whose rights it is actively working to erode is an interesting juxtaposition.
That this term has been used overwhelmingly by men to refer to Trump makes explicit the homosocial nature of a homophobic administration.
The popularity of the term has significantly increased since its adoption as internet slang on social media, as in the rise of the "daddy meme" playing on its sexualised connotations in a tongue-in-cheek, lightly self-parodying manner.
The fact that "Daddy" is so commonly used, including by a NATO chief, shows how mainstream it has become. Yet Rutte did not seem to be in on the joke.
Trump is also most definitely not a State Daddy.
His dominating, paternalistic masculinity is the antithesis of the State Daddy, whose masculinity is compassionate, caring and inspires hope.
READ MORE:
The State Daddy is defined by collective responsibility, empathy and provision of social programs whereas Strongman leaders like Trump are self-interested, hyper-individualist, aggressive and seek to gut public services.
State Daddies are also committed to women voters and gender equality, whereas misogyny and patriarchal domination are central to Trump's identity.
As a patriarchal and authoritarian masculine protectionist persona who enforces obedience through punishment, Trump is a dominating and paternalistic authoritarian Dad. He aligns with the "strict father" model, viewing the world as a dangerous and competitive arena in which there are clear "winners" and "losers"- terms on which Trump often relies to frame his messaging.
But I guess this doesn't have as good of a ring to it as "Daddy Don".