The Fat Imaginary in Trump's America

Materially as well as metaphorically, fat is seemingly ubiquitous in Donald Trump’s America. Rather than simply a rude comment to make about someone’s appearance or capacity for self-control, the word refers to a form of matter and style of metaphor that helps structure divisions between America and the world, as well as among Americans themselves. To support this claim, this article outlines a broad cultural imagination relating to fat—a fat imaginary—that structures common global perceptions of Americans and America, as well as assessments of Trump himself. With sources traceable to traditional agricultural motifs, metaphors relating to fat often connote processes of fattening that evoke ideas about consumption, as well as devouring and animality. To see how the fat imaginary informs contemporary political discourses, the article probes the “fat American” as a consuming figure on the world stage, as well as media representations of Trump as a devouring monster.