In a piece I posted Monday I pointed out that to some male leaders – specifically to those with authoritarian preferences and proclivities – size matters as much as or even more than anything else. Before you leap to any conclusions, please note that I was referring to the size of their domains, the bigger the better. Case in point: the war in Ukraine is all about Russia’s President Vladimir Putin wanting greatly to expand the size of Russia by annexing Ukraine. Another case in point: President Donald Trump who in last night’s State of the Union speech reiterated his intention to take back the Panama Canal – and somehow to acquire Greenland. (Mercifully he did not repeat his vague but real idea of making Canada the 51st state.)
Given that this same State of the Union speech was the longest in presidential history, it’s clear it’s not just overall size that matters, length matters too. Specifically, the length of time that these sorts of leaders can dominate a space, command a room literally and figuratively just by publicly speaking. By publicly speaking far, far longer than usual, forcing those in attendance to, if not pay attention, at least to remain in place. And forcing those not in attendance to consider that by not knowing what their supreme leader said they will miss out.
In 2024 Putin’s State of the Union speech lasted two hours, which for him is typical. In 2017 China’s President Xi Jinping gave a speech that lasted three-and-a-half hours. (The Guardian commented he was testing “eyeballs and bladders.”) But neither holds a candle to another Strongman, Cuba’s legendary Fidel Castro. Castro famously spoke endlessly. He delivered the longest speech ever at the United Nations, clocking in at four hours and 29 minutes. But his personal best was in Cuba, where he once gave a speech that lasted the better part of a day – seven hours and 30 minutes.
Just like bigger is considered better, longer is considered better. Longer is considered better by leaders who have insatiable appetites for more of everything than they already have.
Think Trump knows that the Gettysburg Address was 272 words? Think Trump knows that it was delivered by President Abrham Lincoln in less than three minutes? Think Trump knows that Lincoln’s Second Inaugural address was 701 words? Think Trump knows that Lincoln delivered it in under seven minutes? Probably not.