When historians look back at this era, the most representative symbol of our fascinating and turbulent time might be Donald Trump’s hair. So it’s notable how the former (and potentially future) president of the United States has taken steps recently to lean into his infamous ’do.
The Saturday after the Republican National Convention, he stopped in the middle of a rally to roast himself. “That’s very severe, that combover. That’s a severe sucker. What’s with that one?” he said. “I apologize, man. I looked up there I said, ‘whoa!’ Look at that, wow. That’s like a work of art.”
A powerful ad released by the campaign used the moment in 2016 when he let Jimmy Fallon mess his hair up as an example of his “outsider” persona. Self-deprecation is a sign of cool.
Meanwhile, there are two related narratives playing out now in our political culture, pushed by the left and the establishment media. One is that Trump and his new running mate JD Vance are “weird”; the other, in direct correlation, is that recently installed, soon-to-be Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is actually cool.
Neither narrative is grounded in reality, and both ignore the meaning of the actual events of the craziest political month in recent history, which is…actually it’s Donald Trump who’s somehow cool now?
But let’s back up. First there’s the push to make Vance, and Trump, “weird.” There’s a concerted effort happening not to label comments or policy positions as dangerous or destructive, but instead giving off a vibe of “the ick.”
JD Vance is actually one of the more normal human beings to run for political office — and was embraced by everyone from CNN to the New York Times a few years ago, when he was riding the “Hillbilly Elegy” wave. But now this 39-year-old former subject of a Ron Howard movie from way back in 2020 must be smeared as a weirdo by his political foes.
We should also acknowledge that the “weird” talking point is a tacit admission by the left and the Acela media that the “threat to democracy” argument pushed for years was overblown and ineffective. Instead, they’re deliberately lowering the stakes this cycle — to a level they hope will resonate more with average voters.
Then there’s the actually pretty weird push to establish Kamala Harris as cool. She’s “brat” and eminently “meme-able,” we’re told, by groups of reporters and perpetually online dorks who seem to be trying to convince themselves of this fact as much as they are the rest of us.
Harris isn’t actually contributing to this ecosystem being built around her — she hasn’t even sat for an interview since she was anointed the new nominee. There’s a reframing of the idea of Kamala Harris, rather than the person. It’s a bunch of extra try-hards laundering her cringe moments to retcon some version of cool that’s quite obviously artificial.
And the segregated Zoom calls — oh, the segregated Zoom calls. Is there a single piece of merch less cool than this “White Dudes For Harris” trucker hat? You have C-list actors like Sean Astin spilling his soul talking about the “interesting, powerful concept” around “the idea that men can gather to talk about how we feel”… on a white dudes only Zoom call.
“Cool” and “weird” can’t be manufactured — they’re vibes that either resonate, or they don’t. And that’s where, as strange as it sounds, Trump being cool now comes into play. (And I say this as someone who has never voted for Trump, and who is on record that I don’t care who wins.)
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg made this case in a recent interview with Bloomberg. “On a personal note, seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face, and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said. “On some level as an American, it’s hard not to get emotional about that spirit and that fight.”
The assassination attempt instantly became an iconic image and event, cementing Trump as a legendary hero. There’s a reason Facebook and Google have been scrambling to answer questions about why it’s so hard to find related images and information.
MLB players are doing celebrations tied to that moment now. NFL players (infinitely more cool than MLB players) are feeling empowered to speak out about it too. The New York Jets’ young superstar Sauce Gardner posted on X, “ladies & gentlemen….President Donald Trump” and an image of the bloodied Trump with his fist raised. All Pro Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey posted “Trump took a bullet for America.”
Golf may not be the coolest sport, but Trump joined one of the coolest golfers, Bryson DeChambeau, for his YouTube show and demonstrated his legitimate golf skills, all while trash-talking Biden.
Rapper 50 Cent posted an image of Trump’s face on his body from the cover of his 2003 album that had the song “Many Men (Wish Death)” on it, which has become an anthem of sorts for MAGA post-assassination attempt. And it’s still going. The hugely popular online streamer Adin Ross, who has millions of followers, just announced that Trump would be joining him for a stream next week.
Cool won’t win an election. And the Harris elevation has undoubtedly changed the race in a profound way. No one knows what will happen in these final three months.
But there has been a vibe shift around Donald Trump — and an unmistakable cool has emerged. At least as cool as a combover can be.
Steve Krakauer, a NewsNation contributor, is the author of “Uncovered: How the Media Got Cozy with Power, Abandoned Its Principles, and Lost the People” and editor and host of the Fourth Watch newsletter and podcast.