The iconic photo of a bloodied and defiant Donald Trump surrounded by security forces in the aftermath of the assassination attempt will go down in history as a perfect representation of who he is, what he believes, and how he seeks to reshape American politics and society. The events of July 13 further cemented the public image he had honed over the past decade as a president and candidate: an unapologetically macho populist driven by business acumen and conservative values, taking on the liberal establishment and promising to Make America Great Again.
But the photo is about much more than Trump, because it captures the depth of the political and ideological dynamics in the United States over the past four decades. Indeed, one could argue that Trump has been so successful in politics because he has tapped into key aspects of the culture, economics, governance, power and personal values that have shaped American life since the 1980s under Ronald Reagan.
Entertainment (especially sex, sports, and reality TV), digitized communications, the cult of personality, free market economics, global domination, and unlimited personal power and wealth accumulation have captured the hearts and minds of Americans even as they oppress and crush low and middle-income communities.
Bringing entertainment elements into politics has been a Trump trademark and has helped him win widespread support among the American electorate, and his ability to captivate crowds was on full display Saturday.
Security guards surrounded him and tried to lead him to a van to leave the arena, but he resisted. He stood up, raised his fists and yelled, “Fight! Fight!” The excited crowd responded with, “USA! USA!”
Trump looked like the battered fighters at the wrestling shows he loves and participates in: His fist-pumping and chants weren’t just acts of defiance, they were an entertainer’s trick to get the crowd fired up and keep them coming back for the next show (or donating to his campaign).
This is the new commercial politics of America: spectacle and emotion, whether it’s an assassination attempt on the president or a dramatic fight between wrestlers, attract audiences and advertisers.
Trump has used his entertainment skills to attract enough voters from all walks of society to remake the Republican Party in his own image. His personality and simplistic principles will be on full display at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week. It will be highly suggestive that Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a company frequently attended by Trump, will speak just before the Republican presidential nominee on the fourth day of the convention, July 18.
While Trump garners the media attention in Milwaukee, some observers are beginning to question political violence and polarization.
The shooting at the Trump rally is not unusual in modern America, a time of gun violence and extreme political rhetoric, but the high-profile target added extra drama to the incident and prompted the usual mainstream media hysteria about why a great country like the United States should suffer such domestic political violence.
This is not another 9/11, nor is it an attack by the “foreign triple threat” of China, Russia and Iran. This is indigenous terrorism. Where does it come from? Some analysts, scholars and media commentators argue that something profound has changed in the United States over the past four decades that has affected the way individuals engage in society, relate to others and express their emotions.
They say the journey from Reagan to Trump culminates today in the triumph of “political cults,” “political tribalism,” “identity politics,” or “authoritarian leadership.” These and other descriptions all capture the movement of men and women across the United States whose traditional community-based lives have been dramatically altered.
Journalist Chris Hedges writes that “social decay and despair” continues to spread among Americans, leading some to embrace Trump as a savior. They feel isolated and ignored by society, threatened by immigrants, and struggling economically. So they turn to a leader who promises relief and gives voice to their grievances against liberals, the media, the government, and foreigners.
In this sense, it was not surprising when journalists reported that after the shooting, Trump supporters yelled abuse at reporters and even tried to break into the press box at the event. The Wounded Warriors’ hero leader urged them to keep fighting, and they did.
And this was unprecedented: For months, the press has had its own security at most Trump-related events because, in America’s current tribal culture wars, the press has been seen as part of the problem by both the right and the left.
Notably, after Saturday’s incident, the Trump cult took on even more religious overtones. Supporters and fellow Republican politicians, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, invoked “divine intervention” to explain why Trump survived the shooting. They spoke of a divine miracle, of the presidential candidate being protected by the “armor of God,” and of God saving him so he could triumph over the evil forces in society.
Whether this religious mobilization helps Trump get to the polls in November remains to be seen. Much will depend not only on whether he can use the assassination attempt to rally his loyal base and expand his support among undecided voters who appreciate his fighting spirit, but also on whether Joe Biden can carry out the duties of the presidency despite his embarrassing spiritual and linguistic blunders.
Another factor is undoubtedly the Muslim-American and Arab-American communities, who organized rebellions against voting for Biden in the primaries earlier this year, especially in key battleground states, due to their intense anger over the Israeli massacre in Gaza, which Biden enthusiastically supports. And this is not just an issue for these minority communities. According to opinion polls, about 38% of voters are unlikely to vote for Biden because of his policies toward Israel and Palestine. Given these realities, Biden’s chances of beating the rising Trump seem doubtful.
Whatever happens in November, one thing is certain: the iconic image of Trump with his fists pumped and blood streaming from his ears will remain a symbol of an era in American politics characterized by spectacle and populism, in which image, emotion, and the universal human quest for a mystical savior triumphed over policy options and consensus-based decision-making. The disorienting impact of free-market economics and entertainment values on ordinary men and women who were anxious and unsure of where to turn will continue to influence voting patterns for years to come.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.
