The Melodramatic Appeal of Trump's Musical Interlude
In the final days of his 2020 presidential campaign, Donald Trump surprised his audience at a town hall event by abandoning the usual format and instead playing a selection of his favorite songs. This surreal moment, captured on video, revealed a side of Trump that often eludes the public's perception - his deep connection to music and its ability to evoke powerful emotions, even in the midst of a high-stakes political battle.
Uncovering the Emotional Undercurrents of Trump's Musical Choices
The Disorienting Fusion of Buffoonery and Menace
Trumpism has always been a perplexing blend of absurdity and danger, defying the traditional expectations of political leadership. Rather than projecting the gravitas and earnestness often associated with would-be tyrants, Trump's persona is marked by a constant smirking, coy, and often bizarre behavior. This disorienting effect can be both deflating and confusing, leaving observers to question whether a man of such apparent ridiculousness could truly pose an existential threat to democracy.
Trump's Affinity for Melodramatic Music
Trump's musical preferences reveal a deep-seated affinity for schlock, sentiment, and melodrama. From Broadway show tunes to sentimental ballads, the songs he chose to play at the town hall event share a common thread of evoking powerful emotions, sometimes against the listener's will. These "evocative empty calories" of camp and kitsch, when stripped of their political context, may seem harmless, but they speak to a longing for a bygone era that is central to the MAGA movement.
Nostalgia and the Artificial Past
The songs Trump loves evoke a sense of nostalgia, but it is a nostalgia that is unspecific and mutable. Young conservatives, in particular, long to return to the comforts of their childhoods, a time before the perceived encroachment of "wokeness" and social change. Trump's musical selections tap into this desire to recapture a past that may never have truly existed, a past that is more imagined than real.
The Melodramatic Appeal of Trump's Rallies
At the heart of Trump's rallies is a desire for the audience to experience a shared emotional journey, whether it be joy, indignation, or hope. The music, the melodrama, and the feelings of longing and betrayal that Trump evokes are more important than the details or facts of his message. For his supporters, the experience is akin to enjoying a piece of kitschy entertainment - they don't care if it's not "good," as long as it resonates with their own sense of loss and the promise of a return to a perceived golden age.
The Banality of Cruelty and Racism
If Trump is reelected, he will not have the power to truly return his supporters to the womb of their nostalgic fantasies. Instead, he will have the power to punish others on their behalf, a power he has already demonstrated through his cruel and racist policies. The banality of this cruelty is, in a sense, the point - it is the emotional experience, the shared sense of grievance and retribution, that matters most to his base.In the end, the surreal scene of Trump abandoning a town hall event to play his favorite songs is a microcosm of the broader appeal of Trumpism. It is not about the details or the facts, but about the feelings, the longing, and the promise of a return to a past that never truly was. As long as the music plays, the show will go on, regardless of the consequences.
