> ironically because he thought it would avoid making him look weak and incompetent

Trump is what a weak man imagines a strong man to be like. Just look at his official portrait [1], trying to look tough and dangerous. Compare that to Dwight D. Eisenhower's portrait [2], a man who commanded entire armies in the largest war in human history.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump#/media/File:Offic...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower#/media/Fi...