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Vanity among male politicians is nothing new. For the men of the Trump administration, however, the concentration on their appearance is a constant.

In Trump’s Orbit, Women Aren’t the Only Ones Concerned About Their Looks
In Trump world, the male ego is often evident — and their appearance scrutinized — under a president’s gaze.
nyti.ms
4:00 PM · Apr 19, 2026

In Trump’s Orbit, Women Aren’t the Only Ones Concerned About Their Looks

In Trump world, the male ego is often evident — and their appearance scrutinized — under a president’s gaze.


For all the talk about Mar-a-Lago-inspired cosmetic surgery for women in Trump’s world, the attention paid to, and the efforts to safeguard, the male ego also stand out. Many of the men in his administration have adopted a signature look. Doug Mills/The New York Times

By Jesse McKinley
April 18, 2026

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For all the talk about Mar-a-Lago-inspired cosmetic surgery for women in the Trump orbit, the attention paid to, and efforts to safeguard, the male ego also stand out. ... “It’s constant attempts at trying to cultivate a persona that in their eyes seems strong and powerful and dominant and stoic,” said Zac Seidler, a clinical psychologist and the global director of research at Movember, a men’s health charity. “But once you scratch the surface of that, all you see is fragility.”

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The focus on looks could be seen as part of a larger trend with men — particularly younger men — including ideas like “looksmaxxing” (trying to amplify one’s good looks, with surgery and other methods) and “mogging” (dominating another male in appearance), which are steadily percolating through the so-called manosphere.

Whatever the case, Mr. Trump’s interest in outward images has been adopted and echoed by his staff, said Dan Cassino, a professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University, who has studied the president’s approach to masculinity.

“Men in the Trump administration are performing a very specific type of masculinity in order to try and appeal to Trump,” Mr. Cassino said. ... Of course, women in the workplace have been accustomed to — and concerned about — comments and judgments about their looks. ... Now, it seems, men are, too.

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Jesse McKinley is a Times reporter covering politics, pop culture, lifestyle and the confluence of all three.