Abstract

The unfolding spectacle of the 2015-2016 presidential nominations are engaging for a number of reasons, not least of which, due to the entry of the billionaire and former television personality Donald Trump. From his positions on immigration, tax reform, second amendment rights, and US-China trade, Trump’s views have dominated much of western media coverage.

This paper turns a harsh critical gaze upon Trump’s recent campaign, drawing upon a number of fictional and filmic texts, including Netflix’s House of Cards, Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America (2004), EL Docotow’s The Book of Daniel (1971) and Richard Condon’s The Manchurian Candidate (1959), which speak to recent events in mutually enriching ways. Exploring key cultural texts through the prism of recent political events, the paper will situate the US election with a broader cultural frame.