Mary Trump on the end of Uncle Donald: “All he has now is breaking things.” Meltdowns and meltdowns to the end, she says.
Meet Joe Biden’s dog Major, the first shelter dog ever to live in the White House, and soon, Biden’s second German Shepherd (Champ). Shepherd Breeders all over the country are about to get rich.
And many dog lovers will be proud and happy.
It’s strange, really when I saw this photo of Biden and his shelter dog, it just made me feel good about him. The people at the shelter reported that Biden came along to meet Major, he had no security and paid with a personal check.
President Trump has never owned a pet dog, and there were none in the White House during his tenure. In part, says his niece, this tells us how he is a “Frankenstein without conscience.”
Because no one in his family showed him or taught him empathy, he has none. And empathy is at the heart of the extraordinary dog-human relationship. To love a dog is to show empathy.
Many people – hundreds if not thousands – have messaged in the past few years to suggest that Trump’s failure to have a pet dog was an early warning sign of his troubled character and lack of compassion.
I balk at this idea of Dog Lover Snootiness. My grandmother wouldn’t think of having an animal in her house. She was the most loving human I ever knew.
I love this photo, Major was enlarged from the original. Makes the photo better and more apt for me. I love the goofy, happy look on Major’s face.
But I’ve seen more than enough evidence to convince me that dogs are good for people:
Pets, especially dogs and cats, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. They ease loneliness, encourage exercise, and playfulness. They make us smile and even improve cardiovascular health, as I have learned.
They can also, say doctors, increase opportunities to exercise, be outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels.
Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by providing a kind of companionship that is precious in our tense way of life.
When I’m upset, the first thing I do is take one of my dogs for a walk. I always feel better.
Dogs connect me to other people. Dogs often spark conversations with people I might not otherwise ever speak to.
President Trump has always struck me as a lonely, depressed, and angry man with few
if any genuine connections to people or animals. Could Major have helped him, and us?
They also are proven to help humans be more compassionate and empathetic.
Caring for an animal can help children grow up more secure and active. For someone like Trump, that could have changed the trajectory of his – and our – lives.
That argument – a core belief of dog lovers people without dogs can’t be trusted – has always bothered me. I have trouble with the idea that dog lovers are somehow better than people without dogs, or that having a dog makes one a morally superior human.
That is certainly not the case with me, I am superior to no one.
Still, I’ve written several times that the White House, or the House and Senate chambers would benefit from having a Lab around, perhaps the stodgy old white men who rule there would lighten up a bit, and toss a ball or two down those marble hallways.
Zinnia in the Senate would make a lot of politicians smile if nothing else.
I do believe that having a dog – especially a dog like Major – are signs of people who are likely to feel empathy, something we know by now that President Trump does not have.
Having a dog doesn’t make one a better person.
But it demands putting ourselves in the shoes or paws of another being. Dogs pull us out of ourselves and into the lives of creatures who love us more than people, and without condition.
They trigger love in return. Feeding and loving and caring for them is nourishing. The relationship is often about love.
And we are learning that love makes people a lot happier and healthier than hate and anger.
People with dogs know the pain and beauty of stewardship, of caring for another living thing.
We are their advocates, they are completely dependent on us for almost everything they need to survive. That is an emotional experience that can be profound, and ironically, humanizing.
Dogs do not live as long as humans, and loving them opens us up to grief, loss, and sacrifice. Putting a dog down is one of life’s great and necessary sacrifices for me. It has taught me the true meaning of mercy, and the boundlessness of love.
How could a dog not make the White House a warmer and more loving place?
If we can learn to love a dog, we can learn about loving other humans. And empathize with them. This doesn’t always work, but very often, it does. Loving a dog is grounding.
President Trump often seems unhinged.
People who were troubled by Trump’s dislike for pets had a point. It reduces tension and warms hearts.
Politicians love having dogs around, and Presidents have almost always had a point of having dogs romp around the White House, it is good politics if nothing else.
There are about 74 million owned dogs in America, and I was surprised that someone like Trump – who is so concerned with how things look – didn’t even bother to pretend to like them.
He says he is a germaphobe, and he is only seen in dark suits and golfing clothes. I can’t imagine him cuddling a dog.
Nor does First Lady Melania like dogs. I suspect they think of them as smelly and dirty.
We can’t imagine the two of them tossing balls for a dog on the South Lawn. Biden will not make that mistake. The photo above was taken when Biden got Major at the shelter.
That photo above is a million votes right there, and lots of “awwwwws.”
When I see this photo, I can feel and know what it is like for Biden to be sitting there with his trusting dog as they wait for the vet.
This does say something about Biden. It tells me he is capable of love and empathy, and I believe we all need to see that again in a President.
I think in the long haul that this is a big deal. Major reminds us that despite the political disconnections, we are all human beings. Love is not beside the point, it is the point. Major’s job is to remind us of that.
As I often have this year, I turned to Mary Trump’s wonderful book Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. She tells the creation story of Donald Trump. It’s not a pretty story.
More than any pundit in the country, Mary Trump, a trained clinical psychologist, foresaw the rage steaming inside of the President and explained his obvious inability to care for others.
She warned us of his almost tragic lack of empathy. To be honest, it was tragic, it killed a lot of sick people.
In her book, Mary Trump recalled the 1994 film based on Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly’s novel, in which Frankensteins’ monster says “I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the like sof which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.”
The movie inspired Charles P. Pierce to write about Trump in Esquire Magazine: “Donald doesn’t plague himself with doubt about what he’s creating around him. He is proud of his monster. He glorifies in its anger and its destruction and, while he cannot imagine its love, he believes with all of his heart in its rage. He is Frankenstein without conscience.”
The same thing, wrote Mary Trump, could have been said about Trump’s father Fred. In the end, she says, there would be no love for Donald at all, just his agonizing thirst for it.
“The rage,” she wrote, “left to grow, would come to overshadow everything else.”
And so it has. I can’t say for sure if having a dog would have changed Trump or his presidency. It might have softened his heart and softened his narcissism.
But more and more, I’ve gotten the feeling from Trump that there is nothing else inside of him but rage. That is even the way he shows love.
I’m sorry the President never got to know the joy I feel when Zinnia climbs up on my bed at first light, crawls up alongside my head, and showers me with kisses while her tail thumps my own alarm clock for knowing when to get up.
Everywhere she goes, Zinnia leaves a trail of smiles and pleasure. So do Bud and Fate.
I never get the sense that President Trump feels any kind of joy except when he is hurting someone, or telling angry lies.
Perhaps he will have a dog one day.
All he has left now, says Mary, is the rage.
I saw that story on the news this morning. It simply confirmed my belief that I had voted for a good and decent man. I have also read Mary Trumps book. And I agree that Trump is filled constantly with rage and takes great pleasure in hurting others any way he can. What an awful thing to be him.
On another note, it will be wonderful to have a first and second dog ? in the White House. What a couple of big lucky pups!!
I love the look on the dog’s face…
So true Jon, Corina, Escher, and our old barn cat Oscar all give me joy and purpose. Even on my worst days Corina will rest her head on my leg and look at me with her big ole brown eyes and the love I share with her bubbles up and helps me move forward into tomorrow. How sad that Donald Trump never had that kind of moment with a pet, like you wrote it could’ve changed the trajectory of his life. Maybe someday he too will find some sentient being to show him unconditional love. Blessings to you, Maria, and all the lovely animals of Bedlam Farm.
I love this photo! I’ve had three German Shepherds. Both of my sisters have German Shepherds as well. Our shepherds have shown they are extremely protective of their families, highly intelligent, vocal (they talk in a roo roo language like Scooby Doo), and form incredible deep bonds with their people. Knowing that the Bidens have shepherds really shows their heart. One of my favorite books about German Shepherds is Susan Orlean’s book about the famous Rin Tin Tin. I highly recommend it:)
I expect there will be a lot more German Shepherds next year. GS lovers are worried they will wreck the breed again, as they did a couple of times before…
It’s hard to speak for other people, but the dogs I know have brought a lot of joy into the world
Jon–you got played with this picture. It’s been circulated as a joke: the dog is not that big. You should take it down and put in the real picture.
I think it’s a sweet photo. What a gorgeous dog! I knew there was a reason I liked Joe. He looks happy and approachable … he’s one of us.
It seemed sweet to me…
Thank you Jon for featuring Joe and Major. I read a story that explained the Biden’s daughter, Ashley, brought Major home when he was a young puppy in 2018. His mother was in the shelter, had a litter of new puppies, and none of them were thriving. The Delaware Humane Association put the littermates in foster homes. Joe, Jill, and Ashley Biden took care of Major until he was healthy and of an adoptable age. They were what is called “foster failures” because they could not bear to let him go up for adoption. Instead, they adopted him. What an happy, uplifting story! And, a boost to rescue organizations.
Thanks Susan, I read that Biden went himself to pick the dog up…hmm…
Note: The photo on top of the piece was apparently enlarged to make the dog look bigger. I learned this soon after I posted the piece. The original photo was smaller, and I inserted it into the blog post so people can see both. I like the Photoshopped version and am keeping it, the look on the dog’s face is priceless. I don’t know who did the doctoring or why…But it’s a great photo….and it is the real dog and the real owner…
Major, Sitz! Wunderbar, love the inquisitive yet authoritative German Shepherd Stare! Have two myself, or maybe two German Shepherds own my soul. But Donald is in my estimation only an addict who substituted money, profligate sex and the ultimate aphrodisiac, power, for alcohol. Not drinking only means that he has taken the alcohol out of alcoholism. The -ism is the disease and DJT has it in spades. He thinks he controls it with those substitutes, but in reality he is living a psychotic break that began when he was 2 and first got paid to be a son of his father. He just lost in our reality (is there more than one?) his fix, power. So now we have adult King Baby flailing about with all sorts of weapons and a demonstrated indifference to causing even lethal harm. No, no dog for this guy, too much danger that he would injure it. He needs to be recovered first and then learn how to behave with empathy. Dogs are here to teach s how to love, but it takes two and a very close relationship with those wonderful beings, our canine spiritual (aka attitudinal) partners. There is no empathy, which the US Army psychologist who studied tne top Nazis at Nürnberg in 1945, said was the definition of evil. And no empathy means no room for anyone else. And I doubt that DJT has any of that still burning small flame of self-honesty which could be fanned into a real interest in learning — the second qualification for responsibly partnering with a dog. Just my opinion but I have lots and lots of friends with relevant recovery experience who would agree unconditional. thanks for sharing all that! OK, Major, —los ()German, lets go)
What a beautiful dog! My parents had 3 dogs in their old age. I can’t even begin to describe the pleasure those dogs brought to them. One my Dad found caught in a trap in the woods. He freed the dog and got bitten for his efforts but the dog ended up joining the family. My mother “Mrs. Clean” not only tolerated the dogs she loved them with all her heart. I just can’t picture Trump springing a dog from a trap while the dog is biting his hand.
The Bidens also have an older German Shepherd named Champ. When Puppy Major came to the Biden’s home, Senior Champ taught Major the ropes. Champ is now around 10 or 11. And Major is about 3.
Both of the dogs are reportedly highly trained and know how to behave around different groups of people who may turn up in the Biden’s home. Both dogs are also accustomed to traveling.
I, too, saw the pictures of adult Major and Joe at the Delaware Humane Association. My guess is that Major’s rags to riches story is very popular in Delaware. The Biden’s probably take him to visit his old “home” the DHA. After all, Major is a canine celebrity . He’s lived with a Vice President and now a President Elect.
I fear Trump would have abused any pet in his life.
Jon, as usual, you’re spot on!
What a beautiful dog — the goofy look on his face makes him just that much more beautiful. ?
I was traveling in Key West in March before all the Madness began. I met a couple from Michigan and we were having a very civilized discussion about Trump. The husband asked me why I did not vote for him in 2016. Easy, I said. He does not know how to eat steak, and he has never owned a pet. He was surprised by my answer. But I pointed out that you can’t eat steak properly, then you have no appreciation for food, and, if never owned a pet, have no compassion. He looked at me and said, “I never thought of that.”
I can only imagine how much more narrow and pinched his (45) life is , now holed up in the Oval Office seething his rage. Which btw has something particularly misogynist and questioning his virility in it. He had nothing else in his life, no empathy,no pets, no art, no music, no ethics, … a philidtine, .. just his reflection in the mirror/media. I don’t Shakespeare well enough but I think he’s a Richard III character, his “deformity” being emotional rather than physical. In the end even his supporters turned against him (RIII) (maybe that’s what we’re observing now by even foxnews and other “supporters”) in the most humiliating way.
” Richard III
In the hero category, this titular character is flawed to the core — flying into mad rages at any sign of insult, and holding deep resentment for anyone who has ever rejected, mocked, or spoken ill of him. While his physical deformity – a twisted spine and a withered arm – cast him as something of a sympathetic character, he is also a dangerously ambitious and savage figure who orders the deaths of nearly a dozen named characters in this historical play. ” https://www.todaytix.com/insider/london/posts/the-12-most-evil-characters-in-shakespeares-plays-listicle
Jon…
If Biden is a dog person, that’s a plus in my book. If I ever met him, we’d have something (else) to talk about.
I acquired a fear of dogs when I was very young. The city harbored many loose dogs that fended for themselves and had rough edges. I maintained that fear as a hesitancy well into adulthood, but once we decided to invite a dog into our family, that quickly changed. None of them would tolerate an absence of my affection.
Now, we’ve had more pet dogs/breeds than I can count, from poodles/pekes to shepherds. We’ve not had the luxury – nor felt the need – to own a favorite breed. While some had breed-specific traits (Perhaps the shepherds were more protective, and the schnauzer loved to chase small animals.), they mostly were “just dog.” And that’s fine with me.
Each one seemed to have its quirks. Often, that made them more interesting. Yet, they all had this in common.
• While our training was somewhat casual, they all eventually learned the “rules of the house.”
• Food is their money. Feeding them offered a medium of exchange for their bond. It’s part of the deal.
• I don’t know which of us looked forward more to our evening walks, them or me.
• Play is rewarding for both of us. As I age, I play less and we both lose.
Trump missed out on something. But I couldn’t see it now.
You are so right about what dogs do for people. My dogs helped me get through that first year after my husband died. even as the older dog mourned him too. I, admittedly somewhat selfishly, got the puppy five months after he died. She gave me, and I suspect the old dog too, something else to focus on.