Movies News Talk
Trump Calls Anderson Cooper "Allison" Again: A Third-Grade Taunt?
Donald Trump is at it again, folks! He's once again misgendered CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, calling him "Allison" at a rally and on social media. This isn't the first time, either – this kind of problematic behavior, this tendency to misgender an openly gay person is sadly an established pattern in his behavior and should not surprise many.
This whole thing happened when Trump was discussing Cooper's town hall with Kamala Harris earlier in the week. This shows the kind of underlying sentiments inherent within the original remarks; not just that, these were carefully placed words highlighting some incredibly toxic elements.
Cooper addressed Trump's misgendering before—describing it as a "third-grade gay taunt"– that kind of description shows the nature and the implications behind those kinds of problematic sentiments – the kinds of words that emphasize toxic masculine ideas that become destructive toward LGBT members of that particular demographic! Cooper's comments, highlighting exactly how this kind of remark should be treated. This was only in response to Trump claiming to have manipulated an interview between Cooper and E. Jean Carroll (that whole case ended in Trump being held liable for sexual abuse and paying $88 million in damages; with this whole thing on appeal).
Trump's misgendering of Cooper isn't some isolated incident; his persistent use of these very words; his ongoing misuse and deliberate attempts to undermine Cooper are an incredibly problematic aspect of his public appearances, which only become worse with the implications from this specific event.
CNN declined to comment— this doesn't lessen the inherent issues behind this behavior. It does raise the question whether these kinds of repeated offenses require another official reaction. The implication that there was a pattern here shouldn't just get dismissed lightly, because it truly shows what Trump's intentions truly might have been; not just that, the repetition itself demonstrates some incredibly serious ongoing biases, sentiments and feelings held privately, revealed entirely through the method of this choice of behavior in this event.
Calling Anderson Cooper "Allison" isn’t some harmless mistake. This ongoing pattern highlights Trump’s disrespect, and his apparent willingness to use discriminatory language against openly LGBT individuals. Cooper's description—that "third-grade gay taunt"—nails it; hitting directly the target concerning what Trump is really expressing, which only grows more serious concerning his other statements during his many political announcements.