boris johnson and donald trump BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

The Immorality of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump and former UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson have in common not just their crude nationalism, but also their apparent inability to control their sexual appetites. But is it appropriate to judge political leaders based on their sex lives, as many have been wont to do?

LONDON – In a 2013 press conference, then-recently inaugurated Pope Francis famously said that, when it comes to sexual orientation, including past homosexual acts, “who am I to judge?” Should we take a similarly non-judgmental approach to the past personal behavior of our political leaders?

The question is acutely relevant today in both the United States and the United Kingdom. US President Donald Trump, who has already reached the height of political power in his country, and former UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who aspires to keep rising in the ranks, have in common not just their crude nationalism, but also their apparent inability to control their sexual appetites.

Trump’s extramarital affairs are common knowledge, despite hefty pay-offs intended to silence his sexual partners, such as the adult film performer and stripper known as Stormy Daniels. Though Trump is far from the first US president with a long record of adultery, he stands out for the crudeness of his remarks about women, including the infamous “grab ’em by the pussy” comment, exposed during the campaign.

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