Donald J. Trump’s a businessman, billionaire, best-selling author, celebrity, television personality, and a politician. He’s the 45th President of these United States.
Since the summer of 2015, when Trump launched his presidential campaign with theatrical, race-baiting tirade, members of America’s intelligentsia have tried to uncover his true meaning. With varying degrees of sophistication, fairness, empathy, and accuracy, they’ve argued that Trump may be some sort of attention-seeker, Murdoch-in-the-making, master manipulator, seducer, or perfect populist; beneficiary of a Trumpist Moment or head of a Trumpist Movement; narcissist, psychopath, Machiavellian, or generally antisocial individual; fascist, proto-fascist, totalitarian, or authoritarian; racist, sexist, bigot, or misogynist; idiot, ignoramus, puppet, or loser; or liar or bullshit artist.
He may be some, or all, of these things. He’s also just another Asshole. And his rise over the past few decades is a symptom of—and, now, catalyst for—the ascent of Assholes in America.
Embracing the ‘A-Word’: The Vulgar Epithet is an Accurate and Appropriate Term of Democratic Discourse
The “A-Word” is a “paradigmatic example of a rude word.” It’s “indecent, coarse” and “unmannerly, uncivil”—and thus remains rude regardless of whether and how it is used. A person would seem rude regardless of whether he used the A-Word to, for instance, describe a body part or a person.
But the A-Word’s a noun: it may—to lift a line from the late, great Bernie Mac—describe a person, place, or thing.
Since Norman Mailer popularized the term in print, Americans across the political spectrum, from different social backgrounds, and from all walks of life have used the A-Word to describe other people. They’ve certainly done so over the past two decades, as part of an increasingly intense and combative democratic discourse. In 2000, then-presidential candidate George W. Bush called New York Times reporter Adam Clymer a “major league asshole.” In 2005, a “long-time member of the D.C. bar” told the Village Voice that John Bolton—a Bush administration official who would later serve as the American ambassador to the U.N.—was an “asshole.” In May 2016, Foreign Policy writer Tom Ricks called Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes an asshole. When challenged, Ricks doubled down by arguing that term, while concededly coarse, “perfectly fit the person.” Last year, while they waged an internecine struggle triggered by Trump, Fox News host Sean Hannity blasted conservative columnist Bret Stephens as an “asshole.”
Who are all of these Assholes? And why are they such Assholes—not just “jerks,” “narcissists,” “idiots,” or “inconsiderate individuals?”
Well, in Assholes: A Theory, the philosopher Aaron James defines an Asshole as a person that “allows himself to enjoy special advantages in social relations out of an entrenched sense of entitlement that immunizes him against the complaints of other people.” The Asshole (1) “allows himself special advantages in social relationships, and does so systematically;” (2) is “motivated by an entrenched sense of entitlement,” which James describes as “mistaken” but is perhaps best understood as “undue;” and (3) is “immunized against the complaints of other people.”
James developed a rigorous definition—a test, see—to captures the intuitions and emotions that millions of Americans feel and convey when they scream or hiss: “Asshole!” Simple. Powerful.
To call certain folks “narcissists,” “psychopaths,” “jerks,” “idiots,” or “inconsiderate individuals” is to misunderstand their essence and—I’d add, if the good professor will allow it—miscommunicate the sort of sentiments they engender in others. A jerk, for instance, may initially behave in an inconsiderate or insensitive manner but then apologize, backtrack, or even alter his behavior when pressed. The Asshole instead reacts with indignation; he neither apologizes nor alters his behavior. And while the classic psychopath remains amoral, the Asshole actually “traffics in and is moved by moral justification—except that moral justification,” for the Asshole, “leads to an entrenched sense of entitlement.” Although the Asshole’s indignation is misplaced, it is genuine, authentic, and sincere; he does not feign feelings, mirror emotions, or conceal certain types of behavior to manipulate others—in large part because he doesn’t believe he should. Meanwhile, although they think too much of their goddamn selves, narcissists are nice people. And “idiots” are sometimes well meaning, often to the point of being doubly frustrating: so nice, so sweet, so kind, so innocuous, and yet so stupid.
And that’s why the A-Word, when used properly, conveys and ameliorates the feelings engendered by certain people. “He’s such an Asshole.” “Watch where you’re going, Asshole.” And, of course: “You’re not wrong, Walter. You’re just an Asshole!”
That’s President Asshole to You...
Trump satisfies every element of the Asshole test. First, Trump has “an entrenched sense of entitlement.” He believes that he’s special: for instance, he clearly believes that he’d have enjoyed the same sort of success regardless of whether his father helped him directly (by funding his education, lending him money, and providing him with work experience) and indirectly (by bequeathing to him the Trump name, a history of commercial dealings, and ready access to influential persons in New York). What’s worse, facts and arguments cannot dislodge this entitlement: Trump is successful because he is special, not special because he is successful, and there’s not a damned thing a person can say to sway his mind about that. Entrenched entitlement has less to do with a person’s success, status, or advantage—or lack thereof—than with the manner in which a person sees himself and treats others. Being successful, or enjoying some high status or advantage, does not necessarily make someone an Asshole—though it could, of course, skew a person’s sense of self in society. Bill Gates, for instance, is far wealthier than Trump. He also enjoyed certain advantages as a youth that, of course, enabled his success. But he’s not an Asshole… He exhibits humility, self-awareness, conscientiousness, and other traits absent in, and perhaps antithetical to, Trump.
Second, Trump “systematically” seeks or allows himself to enjoy “special”—read: undue!—“advantages in social relations.” He’s a rich celebrity, so he may “grab” women by the “pussy.” He’s the boss, so he may throw tantrums in his hotel’s kitchen; ream a subordinate for buying “cheap shit,” despite having selected the products himself; or try to buy the silence of an associate dean at Yale by offering him a position of the now-defunct “Trump University.” He’s the CEO of the Trump Organization and the head of the Miss USA pageant, so he may confirm that women in certain areas take care of their “asses,” inspect pageant participants like a butcher checks his beef, or interrupt a presentation to ask the speaker if he’s sleeping with a woman. He’s hired Mexican-Americans and other “Latino-Hispanics,” so he may tar Mexican immigrants as rapists. He’s a politician, so he may bash U.S. Senator John McCain—a former prisoner of war, who refused release without his fellow American warriors—for being captured. He’s worked “very hard … created thousands and thousands of jobs, built great structures … and had tremendous success,” so he may essentially tell Gold Star parents—a fallen American soldier’s mother and father—that he’s made “a lot of sacrifices” too.
Third, Trump is “immunized” to criticism—of his behavior, though apparently not his talents, reputation, or other attributes (hands, hair, etc.). When asked if he owed Senator McCain an apology, Trump—a man who avoided military service because of bone spurs in his feet—said: “No, not at all.” When asked if he’d ever apologize for calling Mexican immigrants drug-dealers and rapists, he said: “No, because it’s totally accurate.” And even when he has gone through the motions of apologizing, like he did in the aftermath of Grabgate, he rationalized, deflected, and attacked—pointing out former President Bill Clinton’s indiscretions and misconduct, as if they, grave as they were, somehow excused Trump’s own behavior. By repeatedly reacting indifference or indignation, Trump has exhibited the most essential element of assholery: having been confronted about his behavior, he’s refused to backtrack (like a jerk) or feign expected emotions (like a psychopath).
But does satisfying the Asshole test mean that someone is actually an Asshole?
No. There’s subtle difference, I’d say, between behaving like an “asshole” and being an Asshole. Countless people behave like, or appear to be, Assholes. Sometimes, people—the John Q. Publics, Joe Six Packs, or G.I. Josephines—are tired, hungry, angry, hangry, or just awkward in social settings. They may be assholes in the moment, but that doesn’t necessarily make them Assholes—capital “A.” Conversely, behaving considerately or conscientiously in certain contexts—when, say, self-interest compels a person to adopt non-assholish behavior—doesn’t make Assholes considerate or conscientious people.
And that’s probably why even experts on assholery weren’t too sure about Trump before this election: James, for instance, initially saw Trump as some sort of “ass-clown” or “buffoon”—not an Asshole qua Asshole. (The good professor’s since seen the light, but neither he nor other scholars of assholery have spent the requisite amount of time and energy considering whether our new President is a dumbass, ass-half, or a big-ass Oompa Loompa… and that would make for some delightful reading.) Bottom line: Trump has behaved like an Asshole for so long, so consistently, and so intensely that he’s revealed himself to just be an Asshole.
Tomorrow under Trump? Confront the Arch-Asshole—and the Army of Assholes all around
All around, Assholes keep climbing the rungs of American government, corporations, and society. If and to the extent Assholes ascend, as they do so because most people prefer to carry on with their lives instead of waging war. Because their tolerance for assholery tends to be higher than their threshold or appetite for confrontation, good and decent Americans avoid challenging—or just try to avoid—Assholes.
Good, decent Americans usually turn the other cheek. They swallow their pride. They suppress their rage and seethe in solitude. Sometimes, if and when they grow frustrated or angry enough, they lash out—reacting to the Asshole uncontrollably and counterproductively, thereby ceding precious moral ground to them. Sometimes, when frustrated, fearful, or angry enough, they succumb to the sort of schadenfreude-like glee one observes when a bully is unleashed against other bullies—and so watch or even enable the Asshole’s ascent. (Think about the pleasure many Americans took in Trump’s demolition of his Republican rivals…)
And, so, the Assholes rise. They poke and probe. Like fascists and psychopaths, they push forward when others stand aside or lose their bearings.
And that’s how Trump became President. During the Republican primaries, like the many Americans who refrain from confronting Average Assholes in their daily lives, Republican leaders failed to serve as the first line of defense against the Arch-Asshole. Republicans who had much good and decency stood aside, wilted, or behaved erratically when confronted with Trump’s assholery. (Others, who possess less good and decency, were and are Assholes in their own right. They merely jumped on the Arch-Asshole’s bandwagon, like sophomoric statesmen aligning with a bully lest they get their own asses kicked.) Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush did nothing—besides feebly telling Trump that he was “sick and tired” of his attacks—as Trump spent months bashing him onstage, on the airwaves, on the campaign trail, and into oblivion. Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz—both of whom somehow blend strands psychopathy, hypocrisy, and zealotry in their political personas—let Trump tear through their rivals throughout the primary process only to turn against him, desperately and tragicomically, just weeks before the Republican National Convention. Neither McCain nor Senator Lindsay Graham stood up to Trump, when it mattered most. These men aren’t cowards, but they spent months in a problematic appeasement trap, which may now ensnare other Republicans and even Democrats with an eye on 2018, before drifting listlessly into a twilight zone of pseudo-endorsement or quasi-condemnation. And that’s to say nothing of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who either lacks any sort of real conviction or is far more underhanded than he’d have legions of adoring moderates believe.
Meanwhile, although Democrats confronted Trump when he began beating up their nominee, many of the more partisan ones practically wished his win upon their Republican rivals—quite an assholish thing to do, given what his candidacy did to the United States even before he won. Former President Barack H. Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton couldn’t even contain their glee, while they watched Trump smash his way to the top. Now, they—and millions of others who mocked The Donald and his base—are still wringing their hands and wailing as Asshole-in-Chief leads our country into an abyss. (Never mind some of the nastier bits of the Democrats’ own factional fighting, which pitted careerist “pragmatic progressives” against tablet-wielding millennial “revolutionaries” in what a bitter battle between Cynical Assholes and Delusional Assholes.) Some self-styled Libertarians, Greens, independents, and realists—including millions and millions of people who threw away their votes, by voting for protest candidates, dead gorillas, or staying at home—enjoyed the circus a bit too damn much. Now, they and the rest of us are watching America’s clown become the ringleader.
And, in the irony of ironies, millions of average Americans—those who hate what they probably see as the rampant assholery of Wall Street and K Street—have elevated and empowered the Arch-Asshole in a last-ditch attempt to destroy other Assholes in politics, big business, finance, and so on. (History, however, has not been kind to people who’ve put their trust in Assholes, con men, fascists, psychopaths, narcissists, or tyrants to clear out the rot—as tempting as it may be to trust someone who sets himself apart from the Same Old Shit.)
Trump’s not the only Asshole in America. But he is its Arch-Asshole. He personifies the assholish aspects of American culture and society that have emerged and evolved over the past four decades: the excess of the 1980s, the myopia of the 1990s, the escapism of the 2000s, the recklessness and selfishness of the 2010s—to say nothing of the self-absorption, self-obsession, and self-aggrandizement in all of those eras. (The A-Word’s use has skyrocketed since 1980, which could mean that there are more Assholes, that Americans now understand that certain people are Assholes, and/or that Americans are more comfortable using the word.)
Americans must confront the Arch-Asshole with due urgency. They must confront him with vision, vigilance, patience, consistency, and care. Moving forward, they must also confront other Assholes—the Bannons, Scaramuccis, Conways, and others that lurk in every faction, party, company, clique, or segment of society. Otherwise, we’ll soon find ourselves living in a United States of Assholery—a nation of the Assholes, by the Assholes, for the Assholes.
Anthony Elghossain’s probably just another Asshole… He tweets @aelghossain