Pro wrestling’s 'showmanship' offers a 'glimpse into Trump’s inner psyche' — here's why

20 April

Hulk Hogan at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 18, 2024 (Maxim Elramsisy/ Shutterstock.com)

The word "performative" is often used to describe President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.

In contrast, Never Trump conservative and veteran Washington Post columnist George Will once described the conservative movement of the past as "bookish "— and he meant it in a good way. Will applauds yesterday's conservatives for their attention to detail, and he has a very low opinion of MAGA's love of theatrics and over-the-top spectacle.

The word "performative" is also used in connection with professional wrestling. And Politico's Zach Montellaro, in an article published on April 19, lays out the parallels between professional wrestling and Trump's combative MAGA politics.

Professional wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), according to Montellaro, offer a "glimpse into President Donald Trump's inner psyche and stylistic approach."

"Trump has a deep connection with the world of professional wrestling — he is a WWE Hall of Famer himself," Montellaro explains. "Trump hosted two early WrestleManias in the late 1980s. He purported to 'buy' Monday Night Raw, WWE's flagship program, in 2009. And Trump and Vince McMahon — Trump's real-life friend who ruled the wrestling landscape with an iron fist, until scandal finally ran him out of the business — also had their 'Battle of the Billionaires' at WrestleMania 23. When Trump's chosen combatant beat McMahon's, Trump won the right to shave McMahon's head bald in the middle of the ring."

Montellaro continues, "His approach to politics is imbued with pro wrestling's showmanship. It explains why Hulk Hogan showed up at last year's Republican convention and why Trump's past GOP convention appearances will seem indistinguishable from some of the wrestlers' grand entrances this weekend in Las Vegas."

According to Montellaro, Trump's politics mirror professional wrestling's black-and-white or "good versus evil" thinking.

"Professional wrestling, at its core, is designed to be a fight between the good guys — 'babyfaces,' in wrestling parlance — and bad guys, or 'heels,'" Montellaro observes. "And while modern wrestling usually isn't as cut-and-dry anymore, Trump operates under the same thinking, framing his endeavors, allies and enemies along those lines."

Read Politico's full article at this link.

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