Hillary Clinton’s appearance is just one reason people shouldn’t vote for her, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump suggested Tuesday at a campaign rally in Virginia.
The answer from the crowd was a resounding “no.”
Trump didn’t comment specifically on any aspect of Clinton’s looks, and considering his past remarks about women, perhaps we can be thankful for that. But he was once again arguing that people can judge whether the former secretary of state is fit to serve just by looking at her.
What could this possibly mean? Maybe Trump thinks blondes shouldn’t be in the White House ― unless their hair is more wheat-colored like his and less vintage blonde like hers. Or maybe he’s being a chauvinist oaf. The Trump campaign didn’t respond to a request for clarification.
But for Trump to make such a statement, he must believe that he, unlike Clinton, looks somehow inherently “presidential.” Maybe it’s because he’s a man. Or maybe he’s convinced he’s got the look of a leader.
We’d be better off without these shallow, superficial political prerequisites. But if Trump is going to keep using them to attack his opponent, he should really do a little self-reflection:
Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics! https://t.co/ufoTeQd8yA pic.twitter.com/k01Mc6CuDI
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2016
Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims ― 1.6 billion members of an entire religion ― from entering the U.S.