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.'

Make us preferred on Google

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

Erin Brockovich
This Past Weekend with Theo Von

Erin Brockovich Perfectly Lays Out Why AI Data Centers Are 'Pushing People Too Far' In Viral Clip

Self-described "people advocate"—a term she prefers over environmental activist or consumer advocate—Erin Brockovich recently sat down with comedian Theo Von on his podcast This Past Weekend. They spoke about her now adult children, the court case and resulting film that made Brockovich a household name, and what she's done since.

About a third of the way into the hour and a half long sit down, Von noted that what made him want to connect with Brockovich was an article she wrote for her Substack, The Brockovich Report, titled, "If Data Centers Are So Great, Why Are They Being Built in Secret?" which launched her mapping initiative posted on the website Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting.

Keep Reading Show less
Jens Spahn
Bernd von Jutrczenka/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Gay Conservative German Politician Resigns After Welcoming Child Via Surrogacy Despite Publicly Opposing It

German conservative Jens Spahn resigned from his position as the leader of the joint CDU/CSU (Union) parliamentary group in the 21st Bundestag after it emerged he and his husband welcomed a child via surrogacy despite openly opposing it.

Per the 1990 Embryo Protection Act, surrogacy remains illegal in Germany, a position long supported by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which reaffirmed its opposition earlier this year. While German law allows parents to raise children born through surrogacy abroad, arranging a surrogate within Germany is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump; JD and Usha Vance
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Trump Dragged After Posting A Photo Of JD And Usha Vance's New Baby Before They Did

President Donald Trump was criticized after he took to social media to share a photo of Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance's new baby boy Alec to congratulate them before the Vances could even do so themselves.

The Vance family welcomed their fourth child, Alec Neel Vance, who joins older siblings Ewan, 9, Vivek, 6, and Mirabel, 4. Trump later shared a photo showing Vivek holding his newborn brother while Mirabel looks on.

Keep Reading Show less
Robbie Williams performs live onstage during the Robbie Williams: Britpop tour.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Robbie Williams Offers Hilarious 'Apology' After Viral Clip Sparks Rumors He Was Taking Drugs During World Cup Final

Robbie Williams is putting a viral World Cup mystery to rest after viewers became convinced they had witnessed something far more scandalous than what actually happened.

During an interview with German TV ahead of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, a tiny white object suddenly dropped from Williams' mouth onto a magenta T-Mobile microphone.

Keep Reading Show less
Reid Rasner
@reid.rasner/Instagram

MAGA Wyoming Candidate Dragged After Sharing Ultra-Cringey Video Of Himself Gearing Up To 'Ban Sharia Law'

Wyoming MAGA Republican House candidate Reid Rasner's social media campaign is so unhinged that Wyoming newspaper Cowboy State Daily titled an article about him "Despite His Videos, Wyoming Politicos Say Reid Rasner Campaign Is Not A Parody."

In one of his more viral videos, posted on TikTok, Rasner journeyed to Fort Collins, Colorado, to find a mosque to stand in front of in a too small camouflage vest and oversized MAGA hat to claim he was banning Sharia Law.

Keep Reading Show less