In a posthumously released interview, renowned primatologist Jane Goodall expressed her desire to launch Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and several other world leaders on a one-way trip into space. The comments feature in the Netflix documentary Famous Last Words, recorded in March and kept under wraps until her death last week at the age of 91.
Goodall told interviewer Brad Falchuk that she would put Musk, Trump, and some of Trump's supporters on a spaceship, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government. "Put them all on that spaceship and send them off," she said.
Goodall, who spent decades studying chimpanzee behaviour, drew parallels between the aggressive displays of alpha male chimps and the actions of certain political leaders. In a 2022 interview with MSNBC, she said Trump exhibited behaviour similar to a male chimpanzee competing for dominance, including swaggering and projecting aggression to intimidate rivals.
In the Netflix interview, Goodall explained that there are two types of alpha: one that rules by aggression and does not last long, and another that uses intelligence and forms alliances, lasting much longer. She also discussed the contagious nature of aggression in both chimps and humans, noting that fear and anger can spread through a group, leading to collective hostility.
Despite her grim assessment of the current political climate, Goodall expressed hope in the younger generation. She compared the fight against present-day darkness to Britain's defiance against Nazi Germany under Winston Churchill, urging resilience and determination. "Even today, when the planet is dark, there still is hope," she concluded.
