Jane Goodall's shocking take on Donald Trump’s ‘chimp-like’ behavior goes viral after her death

Jane Goodall, British animal rights campaigner and primatologist Dame has died aged 91. She died of natural causes in California where she was staying as part of her speaking tour in the US, the Jane Goodall Institute announced. In tribute, her institute calls her a "tireless advocate" for the natural world, as the United Nations say she leaves "an extraordinary legacy".

Jane Goodall's analysis of Trump's behaviour

After Jane Goodall's death, her analysis of US President Donald Trump's behaviour as being 'chimp-like' went viral online on Wednesday. Multiple social media accounts shared footage of Goodall’s 2022 interview with MSNBC’s Ari Melber in which she watched a supercut of Trump’s antics. In the footage, Jane Goodall said she saw "the same sort of behavior as a male chimpanzee will show when he is competing for dominance with another."

“They’re upright, they swagger, they project themselves as really more large and aggressive than they may actually be in order to intimidate their rivals,” Goodall was quoted as saying by MSNBC.


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Goodall also spoke about the state of American politics during the MSNBC interview. “I’m not an American and I’m not a politician, but looking at it from outside, I see that the divisiveness that’s being created in your America is a tragedy, and it’s a tragedy that can have a ripple effect around the world,” she said.

Goodall's comments highlight the escalating concerns about polarization in US politics. Jane Goodall made similar comments during Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016, when she told The Atlantic that his performances “remind me of male chimpanzees and their dominance rituals.”

“In many ways the performances of Donald Trump remind me of male chimpanzees and their dominance rituals,” Goodall said.

“In order to impress rivals, males seeking to rise in the dominance hierarchy perform spectacular displays: stamping, slapping the ground, dragging branches, throwing rocks,” she said, adding that the “more vigorous and imaginative the display, the faster the individual is likely to rise in the hierarchy, and the longer he is likely to maintain that position.”

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Who is Jane Goodall?

Jane Goodall's transformative study of chimpanzees shaped the human understanding on the apes. Goodall’s discoveries over her career “revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” her institute posted on Instagram.

The trailblazing anthropologist documented chimpanzees using tools and performing other activities previously believed to be exclusive to humans. She also documented the chimps' distinct personalities.

Politicians from around the world are paying tribute to Goodall. Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “heartbroken” to hear about Goodall’s death.

“She was a pioneer whose research and advocacy reshaped our understanding of the natural world. Her wisdom and compassion will live on in every act of conservation. All of us who were so greatly inspired by her will miss her deeply,” Trudeau wrote on X.

António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, said he was “deeply saddened.” “She is leaving an extraordinary legacy for humanity & our planet. I'm grateful for her lifelong environmental protection efforts & her strong support for the @UN,” Guterres wrote on X.