ABSTRACT
Trump's demagoguery has a parallel to the rhetoric of professional wrestling, a sport with which Trump has long had a curious relationship. This chapter maintains that wrestling taught him the art of lowbrow populism, and illustrates how his choice of words and phrases mimics that of wrestling promoters, including boasting, insults, misogyny, and the glorification of violence. Trump's close ties to the World Wrestling Entertainment's Vince McMahon gave him insights into the world of what would later become some of his most ardent followers. From wrestling, Trump learned to pose as the hero for the common fan.
