image credit: business insider
Entertainment and money fuel American mercantile politics. No one does it better than Trump.
The iconic photo of a wounded and defiant Donald Trump surrounded by security agents following an assassination attempt will undoubtedly define who he is, what he believes in, and how he wants to change American politics and society. In his previous decade as president and candidate, he has cultivated a no-holds-barred macho populist persona that confronts the liberal elite and promises to make America great again. July 13 has further enhanced this image.
The portrait is bigger than the individual because it represents the underlying political and ideological processes in the US over the past 40 years. Trump may have succeeded in politics by skillfully using the culture, economy, governance, authority, and personal beliefs that have influenced American society since Ronald Reagan’s administration in the 1980s.
Entertainment, especially sex, sports, and reality TV, digitized communications, personality cults, free-market economics, global dominance, and unlimited personal aggrandisement and wealth accumulation, have captivated Americans while crushing middle- and low-income communities.
Trump’s use of comedy in politics has won over large parts of the US public. He wowed spectators on Saturday.
He fought security personnel who sought to escort him to his van to leave the venue. He rose and pumped his fist, shouting, “Fight, fight!” The throng shouted, “USA! USA!”
Trump looked like the wounded warriors in wrestling matches he loves and has participated in. His fist-pumping and yelling were both a show of defiance and an entertainer’s technique to get his audience to come back for more (or give to his campaign).
The new American mercantile politics works this way. Emotion and spectacle draw viewers and marketers, whether the problem is a presidential assassination or a wrestling match.
Trump has garnered enough voters from all walks of life to reshape the Republican Party with his entertainment talents. His personality and basic beliefs are on display at this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. On July 18, the fourth day of the convention, Dana White, the head of Ultimate Fighting Championship, which Trump has visited, will speak before the Republican presidential candidate.
While Trump enjoys media attention in Milwaukee, some are raising concerns about political violence and polarization.
Gun violence and harsh political speech are common in America, including the Trump rally shooting. However, the high-profile target added drama and sparked mainstream media panic over why a beautiful society like the US suffers from homegrown political violence.
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