Before her death, Jane Goodall shared her true feelings about Donald Trump

Renowned anthropologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, famous for her pioneering research on chimpanzees, has died at the age of 91.

Goodall, who reshaped the world’s understanding of primates through her decades of fieldwork, passed away of natural causes on October 1, 2025, during a speaking tour in California. Her passing was confirmed by the Jane Goodall Institute.

“The Jane Goodall Institute has learned this morning that Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Institute, has passed away due to natural causes,” the organization announced on Instagram.

Throughout her life, Goodall was outspoken on many issues, including her views on world leaders. In 2016, during Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, she made headlines by comparing his behavior to that of male chimpanzees.

“In many ways the performances of Donald Trump remind me of male chimpanzees and their dominance rituals,” she told The Atlantic, describing how males stamp, slap, and throw objects to assert authority.

Her remarks resurfaced years later in 2022 during an MSNBC interview, when she again likened Trump’s public displays to the swaggering gestures of male chimps vying for dominance. She laughed as she noted the similarities.

Goodall also expressed concern for America’s future, saying the divisiveness in the U.S. was “a tragedy” with global consequences. Her sharp insights into both chimpanzees and humans remain part of her enduring legacy.