A now-rescinded proposal that circulated within the Republican National Committee seeking to declare Donald Trump the party’s “presumptive” presidential nominee before the end of the primaries shows that the GOP’s MAGA-controlled process is essentially scripted TV with a predetermined outcome.
And I think we should explore the characters a little more.
I’ve always thought there was something to the various articles highlighting how Trump’s history with World Wrestling Entertainment — scripted television that centers on conflict, microphone presence and stories of vengeance — prepared him for his political career and continues to influence it now.
And I think the GOP primary is playing out precisely like a wrestling script might. I’ll explain.
Do you know what a “jobber” is? In wrestling, it’s what you call someone whose job is primarily to lose matches and make the stars look good. So, for example, if you’re a manager booking a match and you want to make Hulk Hogan look formidable, you book a jobber — also known as “enhancement talent” — as the opponent, someone who can be tossed around, humiliated and dispensed with rather easily. (Check out this video for a great explainer.)
So Trump — as he has beaten his chest, antagonized his detractors and squawked insults at his opponents while not having to debate — is cast as the star in this scenario. And his competitors in the primary have been cast as futile challengers destined to be suplexed, slammed … and added to the mythology that Trump, or Trumpism, is unbeatable.
Essentially, they’re jobbers.
Nikki Haley. Ron DeSantis. Tim Scott. Vivek Ramaswamy. Doug Burgum. All of these past (in Haley’s case, present) “opponents” of Trump’s have only put up half-hearted play fights against his reign over the GOP.
Sure, some of them have criticized his failure to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and his addition of trillions of dollars to the nation’s debt (weak attacks, in…
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