Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Jane Goodall Likens Trump To A 'Male Chimpanzee' After Watching Montage Of His Behavior–And Yeah, That Tracks

Jane Goodall with chimp in the background; MSNBC screenshot of Donald Trump
Greg Wood/AFP via Getty Images; MSNBC/YouTube

On The Beat with Ari Melber, Jane Goodall analyzed Trump's behavior as akin to a male chimp 'competing for dominance with another.'

Renowned primatologist and environmental activist Jane Goodall likened former Republican President Donald Trump to a "male chimpanzee" after watching a montage of his behavior during an interview on MSNBC.

Speaking on The Beat with Ari Melber, Goodall said Trump's behavior is not unlike the kid "a male chimpanzee will show when he is competing for dominance with another.”


Goodall is, of course, the expert. She is considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees and is best known for her 60-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees since she first went to Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in 1960, where she witnessed human-like behaviours amongst chimpanzees, including armed conflict.

Goodall made the observation after Melber played her a montage that showed Trump stalking behind Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during a 2016 debate, hugging and kissing the American flag and calling himself a “perfect physical specimen.”

You can hear what she said in the video below.

Hot Earth Truth: Jane Goodall On Chimps, Conservation And Runaway Capitalism | Summit Series youtu.be

When asked for her opinion on Trump's behavior, Goodall said:

“I see the same sort of behavior as a male chimpanzee will show when he is competing for dominance with another.”
“They’re upright, they swagger, they project themselves as really more large and aggressive than they may actually be in order to intimidate their rivals."

Goodall later commented that "the divisiveness that's being created" in the United States is "a tragedy... that can have ripple effects around the world."

It was a striking observation and most people couldn't help but laugh and agree with it.


Goodall's observation about Trump indicates her opinion has not changed significantly since 2016, when she told The Atlantic that Trump's controversial antics "remind me of male chimpanzees and their dominance rituals."

Noting that male chimpanzees seek to "rise in the dominance hierarchy" by "stamping," "slapping the ground," "dragging branches," and even "throwing rocks," Goodall added that an individual "is likely to rise in the hierarchy" and "maintain that position" the more performative their display.

More from People/donald-trump

Screenshot of JD Vance; Donald Trump
@Acyn/X; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

JD Vance Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud About What Trump Really 'Takes Seriously' As President—And Yep, That Tracks

In his announcement this week that the Trump administration will be withholding $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments from California due to alleged fraud, Vice President JD Vance had people raising their eyebrows after claiming that President Donald Trump "takes fraud seriously."

As part of his role overseeing anti-fraud efforts, Vance said the administration is targeting California because state officials are not taking Medicaid fraud seriously enough. Vance claimed both California and American taxpayers were being “defrauded” and alleged that some patients had been given unnecessary medications after fraudsters encouraged “false prescriptions” and improper treatment.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshots from @itsgoobz's TikTok video
@itsgoobz/TikTok

Woman Goes Viral After Revealing How She Caught Her Husband Cheating Thanks To His iCloud Account

Cheating is an absolute dealbreaker in most relationships—but when you add three children to the mix, it escalates to a level of betrayal that there's really no coming back from.

It's even worse when the cheater does little to apologize for or even acknowledge what they have done.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshots from @maggieeatsss's TikTok video
@maggieeatsss/TikTok

Mom Goes Viral After Confronting Her Son About His Bullying Behavior At School—And Parents Are Applauding

Parents might not want to think about it or talk about it, but at some point, their children are going to make some mistakes, and the true test of their parenting is how they respond in those moments.

So when TikToker @maggieeatsss found out that her son had been bullying a kid at school, she knew there was no time to waste.

Keep Reading Show less
North Carolina Mom Slams MAGA Congresswoman For Attacking Her 10-Year-Old Son And His Teacher In 'Horrific' Letter
FOX8 WGHP/YouTube; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

North Carolina Mom Slams MAGA Congresswoman For Attacking Her 10-Year-Old Son And His Teacher In 'Horrific' Letter

Greensboro, North Carolina, mother Emily Mango is upset with MAGA Republican Representative Virginia Foxx over a letter the North Carolina legislator sent to her 10-year-old son in response to a school assignment.

Mango shared that her son Christian, who is in the 4th grade, was tasked with a writing exercise. Students were to compose a persuasive essay on a topic of their choosing and send it to a changemaker.

Keep Reading Show less
Hayden Panettiere
On Purpose with Jay Shetty; Neutrogena

Hayden Panettiere Claims Neutrogena Fired Her After 10 Years For Speaking About Postpartum Depression—And Fans Are Appalled

Despite being in an industry that many people only dream of, Heroes and Bring It On star Hayden Panettiere hasn't had the best of luck.

With her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning coming out soon, Panettiere has been opening up about her experiences with discrimination and abuse, this time on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, shedding light on one very popular skincare line.

Keep Reading Show less