Why Tom Brady's 'gentle' roast of Trump at Biden's White House was actually 'deeply vicious'

President Biden hosted the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the White House on Tuesday, both Biden and star quarterback Tom Brady "wearing sunglasses and grins," Annie Linskey writes at The Washington Post. "It was in many ways the most traditional of presidential rituals — the visit of a championship team to the White House, allowing athletic stars and political leaders to bask in each other's all-American glow" — and in this case "the very point was to be normal, traditional, even dull."

At the same time, "it was a scene straight out of a Donald Trump nightmare, and quite possibly the worst day of Donald Trump's life," Jonathan Chait writes at New York. "To grasp why such an anodyne scene would produce such a wounding effect on a man who has endured misfortunes such as bankruptcy, losing a presidential election, two impeachments, and innumerable legal setbacks, one needs to understand his peculiar psychology. Here, in rough order, is Trump's hierarchy of needs: 1. To be treated as a winner; 2. To pal around with celebrities; 3. To not be laughed at; 4. To gain the specific approval of Tom Brady."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.