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The Cost of Trump’s Toxic Masculinity on White House Workers
His refusal to wear a mask and social distance comes at expense of his Black and Brown labor force
President Donald Trump’s return to the White House after being hospitalized for treatment for the coronavirus was marked by a video released on his Twitter account, where his arrival and slow walk across the lawn is accompanied by a Marvel-esque heroic track. The short video, shared without comment, ends with Trump saluting the helicopter that brought him back, without a mask.
This isn’t surprising for the president, who refused to wear a mask before he contracted the virus and has requested that a reporter take off his mask during a press event. As the White House outbreak continues to grow and Trump’s PR machine assures the public that the president has no more symptoms, concerns for the residence staffers’ health have been rebuffed with assurances that precautions are being taken. But by taking his mask off, Trump is signaling his strength, a demonstration of toxic masculinity to the Americans who still believe in their president — how can we trust that the workers in the White House are being protected privately when Trump privileges a performance of strength in public over the recommendations of thousands of experts?
