When Donald Trump spoke at the Gaza ceasefire ceremony in Cairo in October 2025, he transformed what would ordinarily have been a solemn diplomatic event into something more akin to a comedy ‘roast’. Some of the most powerful people in the world watched as Trump performed a comedy act that involved their almost ritual humiliation. Not only did Trump make jokes at the expense of a variety of Prime Ministers and Presidents, but he accepted, if not demanded, their praise. And praise him they did, calling for Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and describing him as a figure of world historical importance. There were othre populist leaders present, including Viktor Orban and Giorgia Meloni, but none sought to match Trump’s vulgarity or challenge his jokes and insults.
Trump did what, perhaps, no other contemporary leader could do and retain their position. He asked the Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, whether he would now “live very nicely” with India, and when Sharif gave a halting reply, joked that he was disappointed by the response. He mentioned the absence of Norway’s prime Minister, asking, “What happened, Norway?” He called Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni “a gorgeous young woman,” acknowledging that such a comment could end a political career in the United States, before declaring, “I’ll take my chances.” The audience laughed, as well they might have, because none of them had the courage to tell Trump to his face that his behavior was inappropriate. Rather than stick to his prepared remarks, trump drifted freely between stories and asides. He joked about the cost of Egyptian fighter jets, praised their beauty, and reminisced about air Force One flying over the desert sands. His stories deflated the ceremony’s gravity and replaced it with his own comic authority, with Trump as a sort of Don Rickles style insult comedian licensed to dish out the insults at will.
What is particularly captivating about this for those of us interested in Populism, is that Trump both performed as the ultimate authority and power in the world, but also as an anti-elite populist, who with common and crude speech challenged the effete, diplomatic, and ultimately dull world of the global elite. How, then, does Trump retain his status as a populist man of the people while also acting as the most powerful ‘elite’ politician in the world, essentially bullying the great and the good while demanding they pay him tribute? Perhaps the best way to understand this is to turn to Benjamin Moffitt’s work on Populism as a political style. Moffitt describes Populism as a performance that thrives on crisis, authenticity, and
The Performance of Power: Trump, emotion, and the Rejection of Establishment Politics
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This analysis explores how Donald Trump’s unconventional and often transgressive political performances strategically link power to emotion, resonating with a segment of the American electorate disillusioned with conventional politics. His ability to simultaneously embody the role of a powerful world leader and an anti-elite populist, even amidst global crises, reveals a unique and potent political strategy. This approach, exemplified by events like his visit to Cairo, taps into a deep-seated rejection of what many perceive as “boring managerial politics” and positions Trump as a victor against a perceived global elite.
Trump’s Transgressive Performances and the Appeal to Emotion
Donald Trump’s rise to power was marked by a deliberate departure from established political norms. Unlike most world leaders who adhere to carefully crafted scripts, Trump embraced spontaneity, often employing provocative language and unconventional behaviour. This wasn’t a flaw, but a feature.His supporters frequently enough interpreted this spontaneity as sincerity, a refreshing contrast to what they saw as the calculated and disingenuous rhetoric of career politicians.
this connection between performance and perception is central to understanding Trump’s appeal. As scholar Benjamin Moffitt argues, populism is often performed through crisis and emotion. https://www.routledge.com/The-Globalisation-of-Populism/Moffitt/p/book/9780415737339 Trump skillfully leveraged moments of perceived crisis – whether real or manufactured – to evoke strong emotional responses from his base.
His dominance wasn’t simply about policy positions; it was about projecting strength and a willingness to challenge the status quo. This projection resonated with voters who felt ignored or disenfranchised by the political establishment. He presented himself as a winner, actively “winning the war against the global elite,” a narrative that appealed to those who felt left behind by globalization and economic changes.
The Paradox of Power: Populist Outsider and Global Insider
A key element of Trump’s success lies in his ability to occupy seemingly contradictory positions simultaneously.most populists fluctuate between portraying themselves as outsiders challenging the system and insiders wielding power within it. Trump, however, managed to be both at once.
The example of receiving Egypt’s Order of the Nile, the country’s highest honor, while simultaneously behaving like a provocative comedian, perfectly illustrates this paradox. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-receives-egypts-highest-honour-cairo-visit-2024-02-14/ This juxtaposition wasn’t a contradiction in the eyes of his supporters; it was evidence of his power. He could operate within the established international order and mock its conventions, reinforcing his image as an unconstrained and authentic leader.
The Hollow Laughter and the Weight of Crisis
The Cairo event, while seemingly a display of Trump’s dominance, also highlighted a disturbing undercurrent. While Trump elicited laughter from those present, including world leaders who may have privately held him in contempt, the context was one of profound suffering. The ongoing devastation in Gaza, with its immense human cost, served as a stark reminder of the real-world consequences of political actions.
The laughter, therefore, was “hollow,” as the author points out. It was a response to the absurdity of the situation – powerful leaders seemingly humbled before a figure many secretly despised – but it masked a deeper tragedy. The focus on Trump’s performance diverted attention from the “bodies, almost unnoticed, of the dead.” This highlights a critical concern: the potential for charismatic leadership and emotional appeals to overshadow genuine engagement with complex global issues.
Key Takeaways:
* Performance is Key: Trump’s political success was heavily reliant on his performance, deliberately contrasting with traditional political norms.
* Emotion Drives Populism: Appealing to emotions like frustration, anger, and a desire for change was central to his strategy.
* The Outsider/Insider Paradox: Trump uniquely maintained the image of both a populist outsider and a powerful insider simultaneously.
* The Danger of distraction: Charismatic leadership and emotional appeals can sometimes overshadow critical engagement with global crises.
Donald Trump’s political strategy represents a significant departure from conventional politics. His ability to link power to emotion through transgressive performances, and to simultaneously embody the roles of populist and world leader, resonated with a segment of the American electorate seeking an alternative to the established order. However, this approach also carries risks, as the focus on performance can possibly overshadow the gravity of real-world crises and the need for
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