Former President Donald Trump has once again shown the world his prowess at orchestrating photo moments for the ages.
The Trump campaign rolled out its latest spectacle on Thursday when Hulk Hogan appeared onstage at the Republican National Convention.
“They tried to kill the next president of the United States. Enough was enough, and I said, ‘Let Trump-a-mania run wild, brother! Let Trump-a-mania rule again!'” Hogan roared into the mic, shedding his jacket and ripping his black tank top.
Underneath, he revealed, was another tank top, bright red and adorned with the logo for the Trump-Vance 2024 ticket.
As the crowd exploded with applause, Hogan struck his signature bow-and-arrow pose.
It was yet another iconic moment in a presidential election that’s escalated in the last month, with Trump being shot at by a 20-year-old with an AR-style rifle and President Joe Biden facing calls within his party to step aside.
The turmoil on both sides of the political aisle has been marked by a stark difference in visual moments for either candidate.
Trump, known for his focus on photo opportunities, scored big with his supporters on Saturday after the gunman opened fire on him. He wrested his fist free from a throng of Secret Service agents to pump it in the air multiple times.
A photo of the fist pump, taken by The Associated Press’ Evan Vucci, quickly became a rallying cry for the MAGA world, turning Trump’s moment of vulnerability into a beacon of strength. At one point during Trump’s Thursday night RNC speech, nine screens with the image surrounded his lectern.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Image
Biden, on the other hand, has recently been plagued by photos and clips of him appearing confused or lost in thought.
Whether he was actually mentally sharp in those moments mattered less in the age of short-form videos, with every few seconds of apparent frailty spawning viral memes of the president.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Biden’s first debate performance of 2024 against Trump, on June 27, included lapses as he mumbled, sometimes left his mouth ajar, and made faces even when he wasn’t speaking.
With Trump’s team banking hard on the narrative that Biden’s health is declining, even the president’s stronger showing at a press conference last week was met by people pointing out several gaffes he’d made.
Since the debate, Biden has been struggling against mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers to ditch his presidential campaign. Some of his party’s most prominent figures, including former president Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been reported to be voicing doubts behind the scenes about Biden’s ability to win in November.
Meanwhile, Trump has been confirmed as the Republican nominee for president. He formally accepted the nomination on Thursday.