Evidently, Trump uses sadomasochistic humiliation to bond with Republican men. Only that explains Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s groveling endorsement this week.
After all, Trump didn’t just humiliate Kemp; he insulted Kemp’s wife, Marty, too. He claimed that even she doubted her husband could win reelection without Trump’s divine intervention. Yet Kemp isn’t just endorsing Trump; he’s lending his good offices to help Trump win Georgia in November.
But the list of Republican men like him is long and growing. Trump insulted Ted Cruz’s wife, Heidi, calling her unattractive. Yet no Republican takes greater pride in licking Trump’s boots than Cruz. Trump mocked McConnell’s leadership and even hurled racist insults at his wife, Elaine Chao. Yet McConnell defended his wife’s honor by offering a pusillanimous endorsement of Trump’s presidential campaign.
Trump has clearly cracked the code: the more he humiliates Republican men, the more loyal they become. It’s a paradox that makes sense only in MAGA-world, where sycophancy and cuckoldry are the ultimate expressions of loyalty. The MAGA man seems to have no spine, no pride — just a prevailing desire to please their cult leader.
It’s almost as if Trump has twisted evangelical Christianity to mean enduring endless humiliation. The biblical command to “turn the other cheek” now includes letting Trump slap around your wife, too. Self-respect and dignity? In Trump’s GOP, those virtues have been traded for a seat at the table—even if it’s the kiddie table.
Alas, we’re witnessing the transformation of the GOP into a cult of the willing. They are willing to suffer humiliation, willing to sacrifice their wives’ dignity, and willing to bow to a man who sees them as nothing more than disposable pawns in his dystopian quest for power. As Republicans like Adam Kinzinger and Geoff Duncan attest, no self-respecting man would ever stoop so low.
