Donald Trump built a White House spectacle around beautiful men and muscle. During Pride Month

I’ve been covering Donald Trump for The Advocate since 2019, through his first term, through his off years sulking and griping at Mar-a-Lago, and now through his nightmare return to the White House over the last two years.In that time, one thing has become unmistakably, almost comically clear: Donald Trump loves a beautiful man.Not that he would ever say so out loud. “Women, I like. Men, no, I don’t have any interest,” Trump actually felt like he had to announce that, which he did at a Board of Peace meeting this year, apparently in response to the growing cultural conversation about his, shall we say, aesthetic sensibilities.But here’s the thing about protesting too much.Last month, Ashley Parker published a remarkable piece in The Atlantic titled “The King of Queens” that put language to what many of us have long observed. Trump delights in playing what he calls “the gay national anthem” to rev up a crowd. He’s obsessed with Elton John, has a Liberace-esque flair for gilded interiors, and is a self-described admirer of the physiques of other men. It’s a titillating — no contrarian pun intended — look at Trump’s gay tendencies.A side note about Elton John. Several years ago, I spoke with Trump’s niece, Mary Trump. She told me that when she was with her grandmother, who was vehemently antigay, Elton appeared on television, and Granny Mary, Donald’s mother, directed a gay slur at him.Related: Mary L. Trump on Growing Up Gay in an 'Anti-Everything' FamilyThe amount of spray tan, sculpted hair, and cosmetic concealer Trump deploys daily would make a drag queen blush, which is rich given that the Republican Party has made drag queen story hours a cornerstone of its culture war.At UFC 327 in April, a fully made-up Trump was cageside when Brazilian fighter Paulo Costa approached him after his knockout victory. Trump told Costa, “You’re a beautiful guy. You could be a model, you look so good. Great fight.” He added, “You’re too goo