Jordan faux-fearlessness is the norm among the MAGA male set, of course. It’s why he’s become such a celebrity in right-wing media and a power player in the GOP. He’s a perfect avatar of the toxic masculinity of the 21st-century Republican: Loud talking, followed by fleeing at the first sign of a real challenge.

Donald Trump, of course, is the most prominent example. He uses social media near-daily to threaten his political and legal opponents while cringing from any real danger behind a phalanx of taxpayer-funded security. But this week, he made a pathetic effort to bring his phony tough guy act out in person. He returned to court in Manhattan on Tuesday for the ongoing trial to determine how much he’ll be punished for decades of fraud. He’s been absent for a couple of weeks, once it became clear that his presence wasn’t garnering the press coverage he craved. His return appears to have been an attempt at witness intimidation.