Fat President

Make American Healthy Again?

Content warning: some mention of specific weights and BMI

Don’t comply in advance. These are the words floating through my brain as I write this post. It’s concerning how much I have resisted writing about having a fat president for fear of reprisals. I didn’t write at all about Trump’s body in his first term. But I have things that need to be said.

So I’m pushing through my fear and writing publicly, negatively, about Donald J. Trump.

First of all, I have never been a supporter of Trump. I did, however, use to be a conservative. I was raised listening to Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura on talk radio. I still remember so many of the stupid parody songs they played about Bill Clinton. I was part of the moral majority, and proudly so. I opposed Obama in both of his terms, and I couldn’t bring myself to vote for Hillary in 2016 because, at the time, I believed her stance on abortion prevented me.

So much has changed. I’m not ready to talk about all that has changed yet, but I need to process some of it.

I spent all of my political capital (except a vote for Hillary, sad emoji) convincing Republicans not to vote for Trump in 2016. I reasoned with people on social media and in person to consider how his sexual assault past should exclude him from presidential office, in addition to his ineptitude and inexperience. He is a charlatan, and I was never prouder to be an American than when I voted for Joseph Robinett Biden in 2020 and he won. I say all of this to assure you that a Trump presidency needs our criticism and attentiveness.

But we have to leave his body alone.

Unlike the presidents of living memory (I’m thinking back to Carter), Trump lives in an “unfit” body. Not that previous presidents were buff, but they carried less weight on them. That is not in any way a judgment on Trump—I’m just observing.

I live in a fat body—much fatter than Donald Trump—and I embrace the goodness of my body as a person in relationship with myself, others, and the Divine. And I believe that I have to do the same for Donald Trump.

What does it mean to embrace the goodness of Trump’s body and why am I writing about it?

Well, for starters, it means that his body is off the table for criticism. Yes, he is aging. Yes, he is fat. But there is a way to talk about the negatives about Trump without being ageist or healthist.

For example:
Trump is a xenophobe.
Trump is arrogant and abrasive.
Trump is enacting bad policy that will harm immigrants and trans people.

But never:
Trump is bad because he is fat.

Fatness is a neutral descriptor for those of us in the fat liberation movement. Just like if you have brown eyes or red hair. It’s amazing that I have to spell this out, but I need to say it plainly: A body can be fat without being evil.

Every body—no matter its size, shape, or ability—is good. Not because of what it can do, but because of the beautiful potential of being in relationship with oneself, others, and the Divine. We have to get this right or we will suffer the natural consequences: MAHA.

Why it matters that you don’t mock Trump’s body

Are you familiar with the acronym MAHA? No, that’s not a typo. It stands for Make America Healthy Again. And it’s a majorly growing phenomenon within conservative circles.¹ They want to make an America where it’s the paychecks that are fat, not the people. It’s even a PAC with ties to…

RFK, Jr.

Where do I even begin with RFKJr? Currently in the confirmation process to be secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. This is bad, bad news. Not only is RFKJr vaccine-suspicious, he is definitively anti-fat. (His reversal on GLP-1 weight loss drugs, his identification of the American food system as the cause of obesity).

Here’s the thing: when someone criticizes Trump’s fatness as a bad thing, they are participating in the same rhetoric as RFKJr and the MAHA influencers. You can’t have one without the other: anti-fatness is the root of MAHA.

We have to divest from anti-fatness and see that fat bodies have always existed and will always exist, no matter how many magic shots or workouts or organic foods one consumes.

If you want the tools to fight Trumpism, RFKJr’s MAHA crusaders, and even your internal body critic, make sure you’re subscribed to The Fat Dispatch for weekly fat liberation content.

And if you’re in a fat body—or even just a body that does not conform to thinness—and you’re wearied by the onslaught of GLP-1 drug pushing from society—and maybe even your doctors—for weight loss, consider becoming a paid subscriber to The Fat Dispatch. I wrote about my own experience on Ozempic a few weeks ago and the response was so strong that I have created No-Zempic Mondays for paid subscribers, where I share news, stories, and encouragement about resisting GLP-1 agonists for weight loss. If you need extra support, come join our growing community.

Remember—your body is good, not because of what it does, but because it lets you be in the world. There is no wrong way to have a body. Not even for President Trump.

-Amanda Martinez Beck

1. This article is a good starting point but it does include anti-fatness messaging.