The next speaker at ICA 2018 is Sarah Banet-Weiser, who begins by highlighting the popular Trump masks now available for purchase. What does it mean to see through Trump in such a way – more generally, what is the authenticity of Trump’s persona?
Trump is a serial misogynist, who has serially attacked, abused, and insulted women, in public and apparently without sanction; we appear to have got used to such misogyny and barely even respond to it any more. His abuse circulates in the mainstream and social media, and enables the routine dismissal of such misogyny as ‘locker room talk’ by his supporters.
There has been outrage by some – especially by women and by his political opponents –, but his behaviour is also glorified as authenticity in an otherwise artificially orchestrated and fake political environment. By such supporters, he is seen as ‘telling it how it is’. The same goes for his evident racism, of course.
This is part of the logic of populist campaigns: to win is to reassert the superiority of men over women, and of whites over non-whites. Trump has weaponised white, male rage, and his success is contingent on this rage; it validates a reactionary response, including physical violence. In spite of the ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan, much of the campaign’s focus was on the decline of America, and the need for reactionary action.
What is strange in this context is that such a substantial number of women voted for this campaign, that they buy into seeing this misogynist and racist as authentic and truthful. All kinds of white men and women brought him into power; they enabled him to get away with abuse that would have ended anyone else’s careers. They are drawn to the spectacular, perhaps, and outside interference cannot solely be blamed for this. This will continue to manifest in violence as an ordinary act, in hate that refuses to hide any more.
