Trump, elections and the politics of spectacle

The iconic photograph of a bleeding and defiant Donald Trump surrounded by security agents in the aftermath of an assassination attempt will likely go down in history as fully encapsulating who he is, what he believes in, and how he seeks to reshape American politics and society. The events of July 13 have only strengthened the public image he honed in the past decade as president and candidate: a no-holds-barred macho populist who – powered by his business acumen and conservative values – challenges the liberal establishment and promises to make America great again.

The photograph, however, is much bigger than the man, for it captures the deeper political and ideological dynamics in the United States over the past 40 years. In fact, one could argue that Trump has been so successful in politics because he has skilfully made use of key aspects of the culture, economy, governance, power and personal values that have shaped American life since Ronald Reagan’s presidency in the 1980s.

Entertainment (especially sex, sports and reality television), digitised communications, personality cults, free-market economics, global dominance, and unlimited personal aggrandisement and wealth accumulation have captured American minds, even while squeezing and crushing middle and low-income communities.