The Carny & The Showman: How Donald Trump and Vince McMahon Conquered America, Pt.2

In Part Two of this two-part History's Devils episode, James and Jayne finish the story of Donald Trump and Vince McMahon by explaining how the psychology of professional wrestling shaped Trump's two presidencies, and altered the way in which American politics operates. Along the way, they discuss the similarities between alternative facts and Kayfabe (wrestling speak for "keeping it fake") and the connections between WWE and the MAGA movement, whilst pondering what a Vince McMahon presidency would look like? Further ReadingRingmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of AmericaThings to Know About Donald Trump's Relationship with Vince McMahon 00:00 - Introduction: Wrestling psychology in politics02:15 - The concept of kayfabe and its significance05:37 - Projecting success and inflating figures in rallies08:11 - Trump’s manipulation of perceptions and alternate realities13:08 - The use of promos, nickname attacks, and soundbites17:14 - The rise of soundbite politics and social media dominance21:26 - How Trump creates and blends realities with "alternative facts"26:37 - The evolution of Trump's self-image and propaganda portraits29:38 - The distortion of January 6th and the concept of political kayfabe32:43 - The role of audience suspension of disbelief in support36:31 - The spectacle ecosystem: rallies, chaos, and entertainment as political currency40:37 - Pro wrestling, UFC, and the culture of machismo in Trump’s narrative45:15 - The influence of WWE, political endorsements, and celebrity ties50:07 - Hypothetical: Vince McMahon as a president and the wrestling of power50:42 - Episode wrap-up and future reflections on political kayfabeThanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween"Follow HISTORY's DEVILS On Instagram @historysdevilshttps://www.instagram.com/historysdevils/On Substackhttps://jamescrossland.substack.com/Follow JAMES CROSSLANDOn Bluesky @jamescrossland.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jamescrossland.bsky.socialTag HISTORY's DEVILS@historysdevils#HistorysDevils #JamesCrossland #HistoryPodcast #Podcast #History #DarkHistory #HistoricalBiography #TrueHistory #HistoryDocumentary #Deepdive #Storytelling History's Devils is a history podcast exploring the lives of murderers, charlatans, psychopaths, dictators, war criminals, tyrants, demagogues, revolutionaries, cult leaders, conquerors, fraudsters, and other controversial figures.History's Devils is hosted by James Crossland, professor of international history and author of:Rogue Agent: From Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, the Untold Story of Robert Bruce LockhartThe Rise of Devils: Fear and the Origins of Modern Terrorism...