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.
\u201cJane Goodall just compared Trump to a chimpanzee. I couldn\u2019t agree more! \ud83d\ude02\u201d— Kate \ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2695\ufe0f (@Kate \ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2695\ufe0f) 1670975158
\u201cWe must treasure her analysis. https://t.co/xH89uQHRSA\u201d— jespanol (@jespanol) 1671030285
\u201cDR. Jane Goodall comparing Donald Trump to a monkey, she does know monkeys.\u201d— Jack Webb (@Jack Webb) 1670975193
\u201cJane Goodall just on Ari Melber comparing Donald Trump's physical stand and overall behavior to that if a chimpanzee trying to achieve dominance. Bahahaha. Poor chimps!\u201d— CrazyOldLady #HumanScum #NastyWoman (@CrazyOldLady #HumanScum #NastyWoman) 1670975157
\u201cHeadlines:\n"Jane Goodall reveals how Trump acts like a male chimpanzee"\nSo do we need to feed him bananas?\u201d— David W Pippy (@David W Pippy) 1671037738
\u201cAn insult to male chimpanzees everywhere.\n\nhttps://t.co/hLa24T9SIe\u201d— Tea Pain (@Tea Pain) 1671034753
\u201cSad, but really no surprise. Apes have passed us by. https://t.co/t1tBvvCFFR\u201d— Jerry Jensen \u2696\ufe0f (@Jerry Jensen \u2696\ufe0f) 1671035184
\u201cI feel I must disagree w/ Ms. Goodall. From all I've seen of Trump, a male chimp is FAR more intelligent & in tune w/ it's group!\n\n"Environmental activist and primatologist Jane Goodall still believes Donald Trump essentially acts like a male chimpanzee."\n\nhttps://t.co/3vbLbdl1YN\u201d— \ud83d\udc94\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf08\ud83e\udd84 NoraC SLAVA UKRAINI \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83e\udd84\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udc94 (@\ud83d\udc94\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf08\ud83e\udd84 NoraC SLAVA UKRAINI \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83e\udd84\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udc94) 1671032940
\u201cJane Goodall is really on m y TV explaining the parallels between Trump and a preening insecure Chimp...this evening is perfect.\u201d— Clarence Patton (@Clarence Patton) 1670975086
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.
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