Ideas

Donald Trump’s Superficiality Is Bone-Deep

For the shallowest man ever to occupy the presidency, surface appeal is a guiding principle.

First published in The Atlantic on June 3, 2026.

by Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic

June 11, 2026 | reading time: 6 Min.

Donald Trump is reluctant to anoint J. D. Vance as his successor, and understandably so. But The New York Times recently discovered a peculiar basis for the president’s concern. “Mr. Trump, always keenly attuned to the optics of the presidency, has zeroed in on moments when Mr. Vance might not look the part,” the paper reported. “He has repeatedly brought up a moment from last spring, when Mr. Vance fumbled Ohio State’s national football championship trophy on the White House South Lawn.”