"Some people steal valor. President Donald Trump steals machismo. Notice how he constantly positions himself alongside athletes, most especially mixed-martial-arts combatants and professional wrestlers. Like those purveyors of the "hammer fist" and the "rear naked choke," Trump styles himself as an "Ultimate Fighter," a crotch-kicker in chief who will stop at little to force his opponents to submit. Ten months into Trump's second term, he's made 10 appearances at major sporting events, such as the Super Bowl"
"Last month, he scolded the NFL for its new kickoff rule, which is calculated to limit concussions, complaining on his social-media site: "'Sissy' football is bad for America, and bad for the NFL!" And recently, Trump announced that on June 14, as part of the buildup to festivities celebrating America's 250th anniversary of independence, he will host a blood-speckling Ultimate Fighting Championship cage fight on the White House grounds."
Donald Trump consistently aligns himself with athletes, especially mixed-martial-arts fighters and professional wrestlers, to project a violent, macho image. He has appeared at major sporting events and amplified confrontational rhetoric, praising risky behaviors and deriding safety rules. He announced a White House Ultimate Fighting Championship cage fight with weigh-ins at national monuments and promotional attractions for tourists. He frames athletes as embodiments of "guts" and uses spectacle to reinforce his combative persona. He exploits sports-audience psychology by converting fans' emotional identification with athletes into political allegiance and personal participation.
Read at The Atlantic
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