Trump as Vinnie Mac
Donald Trump is displaying indications of fear because he sees in Kamala Harris something that he hasn’t seen in any of his opponents: the emergence of a cultural movement that has resonances that go beyond politics.
He notices Kamala Harris is attracting attention.
We will need to delve far into professional wrestling in order to clarify this idea. It’s going to be an adventure. So, buckle up.
You have to know professional wrestling to understand Trump.1. Trump has long been associated with the WWE and Vince McMahon, and his involvement in wrestling helped shape his perception of the ways in which populism and demagoguery work.
This is how wrestling operates:
Vince McMahon was the sole creator of the WWE. McMahon was wrestling’s Barnum. He alone made the decisions on who won and who lost, which characters were pushed aside, and which characters slipped into obscurity until lately.
Although McMahon was sometimes vengeful and impulsive, at his core, he followed the audience’s wishes. McMahon would offer wrestlers more work and raise their status if they connected with the audience. If a wrestler McMahon liked didn’t receive a response, he would eventually replace the persona or sideline the wrestler.
It is crucial to realize that McMahon was looking for a value-neutral reply. Whether a crowd loves or hates a wrestler is irrelevant. This response is called “heat” in the context of wrestling, and there are two types of heat: (1) heel heat, which is the audience’s animosity and contempt for evil characters. And (2) Face heat—also referred to as “faces,” short for “babyfaces”—is the affection and admiration for heroic figures.
Regardless of whether the crowd is cheering or jeering, a wrestler’s primary responsibility is to extract heat from them. The fact that they are noisy and active is what counts.3. The crowd’s concern is what counts.
Trump’s political idol has been heat.
That explains why, even prior to his presidential campaign, he relentlessly pursued the Obama-birther myth. It clarifies why he ceased discussing Operation Warp Speed. He has even openly discussed heat, mocking Republican crowds who scoff at his mention of tax cuts yet erupt in rage when he brings up transgender concerns.
Drawing heat, according to Trump’s reptile mentality, is the way to control society and win elections.
Trump is a savant in this sense. More than any other person in American political history, he has effectively drawn criticism and utilized that influence to seize total control of a political party.
Therefore, it makes sense why Trump was so irritated with Joe Biden in 2020. Biden,4 who attracted little heat, was essentially unimportant to anyone. Biden took moderate stances and ran a dull but successful campaign, so he was kind of there.
Trump believed that losing against Biden was the political equivalent of Hulk Hogan handing the title belt to a mid-card, forgettable player. That shouldn’t take place.
Daniel Bryan, played by Kamala
Unexpectedly and abruptly, Kamala Harris has been able to attract a lot of heat.
