When it is suggested that Donald Trump is, fundamentally, an entertainer, most critics are referring to his reality show The Apprentice and not to Trump's long history with the World Wrestling Federation. But it should be noted that beginning in 1988, Trump brought WrestleMania IV to Trump Plaza in Atlantic City — and began a carefully constructed relationship with the sport that National Review's Stephen L. Miller argues helped mold the politician the public knows today.
The Apprentice was perhaps the first indication Trump had been carefully watching wrestling and learning from it. From the scripted drama on the show to Trump's catchphrase and theme music, The Apprentice gave the illusion of being real — and, even if they knew better, the audiences watching didn't care if it wasn't. It was also from wrestling that Trump learned to attract his biggest fans: blue-collar, white-male audiences. Even Trump's names for his political opponents — Lyin' Ted Cruz, Little Marco Rubio — have the ring of WWE.
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