Donald Trump exemplifies resentment personified: he could not understand John McCain's self-sacrifice or the higher virtues that motivated it because Trump himself cannot see or access higher values—he sees only selfishness and power, which are the only things he believes to be real.
factualpending
Speaker
David BrooksEvidence Quote
“He couldn't understand why anybody would sacrifice their life for a country. He said, those people are suckers...Donald Trump could never understand John McCain. What drove McCain? Because he believed in those higher virtues. And Donald Trump, who was resentment resentfulness personified, just couldn't quite get that.”
Source
How America Recovers from All This | Yale Conversations with David Brooks | Yale University— Yale Jackson School of Global AffairsCreated: 8/12/2026, 6:23:19 PM
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