Abstract
This chapter looks at the theatrical elements of wrestling (including kayfabe) and how Donald Trump has used them within his campaign and administration. It explores the appeal of wrestling and its tactics to audiences and how Donald Trump has used that to his advantage. His long-standing relationship with professional wrestling has allowed him to use tools like hyperbole and verbal aggression in very specific ways. His use of these tactics has allowed behaviors often contained within theatrical spaces to be released into society leading to confusion over acceptable public behaviors.
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O’Brien, S.B. (2020). Wrestling with the Presidency: How Donald Trump Uses Wrestling and Theatrical Tactics in the Public Sphere. In: Donald Trump and the Kayfabe Presidency. Rhetoric, Politics and Society. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50551-6_3
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