ABSTRACT
Donald Trump mastered media spectacle and controlled new and old media throughout his campaign and his presidency while waging war against the mainstream media. In my study, I discuss Trump’s use of media spectacle in his business career, in his effort to become a celebrity and reality-TV superstar, and in his political campaign and presidency. I argue that the Trump phenomenon is a teachable moment that helps us understand the changes and contour of US politics in the contemporary global era and the role of broadcast media, new media and social networking, and the politics of the spectacle. Trump reveals the threat of authoritarian populism, a phenomenon that is now global in scope, and the dangers of the rise to power of an individual who is highly destructive, who represents the worst of the 1% billionaire business class. Trump masquerades as a “voice of the forgotten man,” as he advances a political agenda that largely benefits the rich and the military. In Trump’s first year and nine months of his presidency, he has revealed himself to many to be a clear and present danger to US democracy and global peace, constituting an American Horror Show for the world.
