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

Donald Trump
Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images

MAGA Voter Calls Out Trump For Ruining Their Retirement—And Gets Little Sympathy Online

Yet another MAGA minion expressed voter's remorse online after the Trump administration's ineptitude tanked their retirement plans, but sympathy was hard to find for someone who got what they voted for.

The "Leopards Ate My Face" subReddit (r/LeopardsAteMyFace) curates such posts.

Keep Reading Show less
Dolly Parton
Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

MAGA Fan Tries To Go After 'Creepy Creature' Dolly Parton—And People Are Not Having Any Of It

A MAGA X user that goes by the name "JULIE DONUTS" found herself on the wrong side of fans of beloved music icon Dolly Parton—yes, Dolly "Imagination Library" Parton, the celebrated humanitarian and activist—after calling her a "creepy creature" for promoting her new book at Costco.

Parton's book Star of the Show: My Life on Stage was released last month. It is a compendium that chronicles a career going stronger than ever after seven decades on stage and includes many photographs and behind-the-scenes moments that any fan of hers will love.

Keep Reading Show less
Brett Smiley; Donald Trump
Libby O'Neill/Getty Images; Alex Wong/Getty Images

Mayor Urges People To Only Trust Official Sources After Trump Spreads Misinformation About Brown University Shooting

Brett Smiley, the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, urged residents to trust only official sources after President Donald Trump shared misinformation on social media about the mass shooting at Brown University that occured over the weekend.

On Saturday, a shooter opened fire on campus, killing two students and wounding nine others. Authorities identified the deceased as Ella Cook, a second-year student from Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an Uzbek national in his first year of studies.

Keep Reading Show less

People Share The Most Polite Ways To Say 'I Want You To Go Home Now'

Whether we're introverts, people pleasers, or highly sociable, we still all understand that feeling of being tired and wanting to say, 'That's a wrap!" at the end of the day.

But sometimes, we get that feeling while we still have guests in our home, and we have to figure out what to say to get them out of our house, just so we can get some sleep.

Keep Reading Show less
Mehmet Oz
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images

Dr. Oz Ripped After Telling Federal Workers To Lay Off The Christmas Cookies

Dr. Mehmet Oz—Donald Trump's administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)—sparked backlash after he told federal workers to stop eating so many Christmas cookies, urging them to cut back on how much they eat, emphasizing portion control, and other familiar advice.

In his weekly bulletin titled “From the Administrator’s Desk,” according to emails viewed by WIRED, Oz dedicated an entire section to "Cutting Cubicle Cravings."

Keep Reading Show less