![PSYCHE | A Caballero-Reynolds/Getty](https://ifp.nyu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1-134-1024x468.jpg)
PSYCHE | A Caballero-Reynolds/Getty
Traditionally, the image of a figleaf was used by artists to cover the body parts (think Adam and Eve) that they were not supposed to show in their paintings. As I use the term, a figleaf is a communicative device that provides just a bit of cover for something that one isn’t supposed to show in public – like racism. To see how this works, let’s first take a closer look at Trump’s call for a Muslim ban.